Taxi Driver Online

Chichester rules out bugging people's homes

Secret Service-style bugging of private homes is strictly ruled out in investigations and surveillance operations mounted by Chichester District Council.

The authority's executive board was told that surveillance work was tightly controlled, and the number of operations totalled only about 15 a year.

Director of corporate services Diane Shepherd said the number carried out so far in 2008-2009 had been 12.

Six of these involved housing benefits, and six environmental health issues – three fly-tipping and three private hire vehicles.

Ms Shepherd said the district council had authority to conduct covert surveillance under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.

However, the Act said it must be proportionate and necessary to what the council was trying to achieve, and that every other avenue should be explored before looking at covert surveillance.

The council's investigations could involve housing benefit cases – for example, where someone sat in a car outside a house, to see whether there was a partner there.

They could also involve looking at private hire cars, to see if they were carrying unsolicited passengers.

A council officer could make test purchases.

"If we heard an individual claiming benefit was working in a pub, we might send someone into the pub to try to establish whether the individual was working there," she told the board.

An officer might get into a private hire vehicle to establish whether it was taking an unsolicited fare.

"Under no circumstances would we undertake intrusive surveillance with a listening device, or go into someone's house," said Ms Shepherd.

This was not allowed by law – the council's work involved only low-level operations.

"I assure you we don't take these things lightly," she added.

There were tight restrictions on who could and could not do the work, which was mainly limited to test purchases.

Only officers could be involved in such work – councillors were not allowed to do so by law.

A board report said the potential for conflict between council investigations and those of other agencies, in particular the police, was minimised by regular liaison between officers and police officers on matters of common interest.

On housing benefit fraud, there was constant liaison with officers at the Department for Work and Pensions in relation to other areas of benefit, and often investigations proceeded jointly.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Wasnt someone saying Chichester council do nowt?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

That someone was me - and I stand by it.

The numbers of PHV and out of area hacks working the streets - let alone other areas - tonight was outrageous.

This council does next to nothing, and if wearing a yellow jacket and walking the streets "proves there is no illegal plying" then I am my own grandma

How the hell do you "bug" a PHV and prove anything anyway???

Incidentally, and i hope I read this right - they said in 2008 -09 had been looked at and
I am now content in the knowledge that our fees are being well spent, and I can sleep easier now.
I bet all the wrongdoers are all quaking in their boots with this massive onslaught!!!

I take it you dont see the irony I was using

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

My sincere apologies captain cab - subtlety sometimes goes over my head!!

In my defence mlud, please look at the time of posting (05:38 am), and the fact that I had a horrible night - low money - muppet customers etc.,

And then accept that mere mention of a certain council makes my blood boil.

So I take it you have now got the irony he was using

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Dont worry about it....I only have to see skippy's posts and I headbutt the wall

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I bet your Mrs...... is made up you have learned to use a iron..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Ok I'm going to hold my hands up and say I can't see the Irony of this at all

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Chichester cab drivers are extremely unhappy with illegal plying and touting....Doc G has ran serveral threads on the issue.....and has used photographic evidence to get the council to do something.

The article says they caught 3 PH cars in 12 months.......when every week theres hundreds illegally plying

I was using irony.....not like metally

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Toots Said:


Absolutely.

I am now very contrite - as I said, sometime subtlety has to hit me in the face, and the only "irony" I seem to get sometimes is when I need to do my shirts!!

I must learn to calm down - so sorry again if I offended captain cab.

I mean - three test purchases in a year (and no prosecutions for TEN!), we did 3 in an hour.

What's that?

Thanks for the explanation obviously I'm never going to shake the 'blonde moment'

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I wouldn't worry about offending CC.. he gets abuse from all over the country.. every were he goes.. day in... day out.. and some of the things people say are pretty strong. but it just does not worry him any more.... water off a duck's back... so feel free to abuse...

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Thats right....it could be worse though...i could be scouse

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin