Agenda item - Annual Surveillance Report 2015

Report of the Acting Executive Director, Finance & Resources (copy attached).

1)           That the Committee approve the continued use of covert surveillance as an enforcement tool to prevent and detect crime and disorder investigated by its officers, providing the activity is in line with the Council’s Policy and Guidance and that necessity and proportionality rules are stringently applied.

2)           That the Committee note the surveillance activity undertaken by the authority since the report to Committee in December 2014 as set out in paragraph 3.3.

3)           That the Committee approve the continued use of the amended Policy and Guidance document as set out in Appendix 2.

69.1      The Committee considered a report of the Acting Director, Finance & Resources that informed Members of the activities that had been undertaken utilising the powers under the Regulatory Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) since the last update in December 2014, informed the Committee of the outcome of the recent audit of the Council’s surveillance activity by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners in June 2015 and introduced revised Policy and Guidance documents reflecting that audit.

69.2      Dr Horne noted that ‘Gatekeepers’ could also be ‘Authorising Officers’ and asked if these two duties should be separated to ensure impartiality.

69.3      The Trading Standards Manager clarified that the Policy and Guidance stated clearly that a ‘Gatekeeper’ could not act as an ‘Authorising Officer’ on the same matter. The Head of Law added that the council could look at increasing its number of ‘Gatekeepers’.

69.4      RESOLVED-

1)           That the Committee approve the continued use of covert surveillance as an enforcement tool to prevent and detect crime and disorder investigated by its officers, providing the activity is in line with the Council’s Policy and Guidance and that necessity and proportionality rules are stringently applied.

2)           That the Committee note the surveillance activity undertaken by the authority since the report to Committee in December 2014 as set out in paragraph 3.3.

3)           That the Committee approve the continued use of the amended Policy and Guidance document as set out in Appendix 2.