Following September 11, is there any such thing as 100 per cent security?
That was among the questions posed by Dr James Hart, Commissioner of City of London Police at a speech at City University London. He was considering the ethics of law-makers and -keepers, and issues facing good policing in the modern age.
Among the points made by Dr Hart were:
The City of London has some of the most sophisticated and extensive CCTV surveillance, and last year some 34 million number plates were read and compared to police databases for stolen and suspect vehicles. Under criminal and terrorist legislation, police have powers to stop and search individuals and vehicles. Some 38,000 people were stopped last year, 12,000 of them using powers under prevention of terrorism legislation. The arrest rate per stop is the highest in the country, and the complaint rate per stop is the lowest.
What they say
Dr Hart said: "Good policing is constantly evolving to meet new threats and challenges, and it is vital that we work with the people, as effective policing can only happen if the public want it – policing is something done with people, not to people. We aim to preserve the values freedom of speech that exists in this country, whilst protecting people and property."
