Some months ago I wrote a post on ANPR – Automatic Number Plate Recognition.

I’ve said it before, and I will, no doubt, say it again, I’m not a revolutionary. But I do have a deep distrust of The State.

This distrust increases when I hear on Radio 4’s Today Programme A Police Officer who tells me that the proposed “Ring of Steel” is such a good idea for Royston.

Yes. Royston. Hertfordshire. Market town. Famous for, well, not a lot. Certainly not for being a high risk target for, for instance, Al-Qaeda, or some other extremist group. At least, not to my knowledge.

I can’t find the Today programme interview, but here’s another BBC clip.

“Ring of Steel”. Yes, that’s the expression. “Ring of Steel”.

What? You ask.

What?

Really?

Presumably required to defend the Crown Jewels. |Or perhaps, far more important that the Crown Jewels, an A List Celeb – perhaps, Cheryl Cole or his Becks-ship. Oh My Lord, tweek-me-cap, Sir, if I touch him I’ll be healed of all those chronic ailments….

Sorry. Got side-tracked there.

By the way, this Police Officer deserves a Capital Letter because he speaks with that uniquely toned-down and carefully pitched ordinariness – you know, that much-rehearsed intonation – “We, here at The [Capital Letter] Police [Capital Letter], are just SO reasonable, SO normal, how can you disagree with us?”

OK. Just thinking this through.

Royston needs a “Ring of Steel” to protects its well behaved citizens from… what? … from what?

PC Not-Plod picks up a number plate on the ANPR. The number plate, which when instantly checked against the DVLA database shows the registered keeper lives OUTSIDE the post codes for Royston.

“Turn on the sirens, Officer, we’ve got a live one….”

Off they go, Doppler effect turning the heads.

“Ah, me hearties, they’ll have that villain in the nick by tea-time…”

“Good afternoon, Sir. Would you be so kind as to tell me your business in Royston?”

“Yes, Officer, I’m so pleased you stopped me. I have a large bag marked SWAG in the boot so you’ve done such a good job I’ll just walk straight to Choke on my own.”

But the clever villain thinks to himself: When I’ve done my stretch I’ll come to Royston by train for my next job. Hehehe.”

In the interview with PC Not-Plod on the Today Programme, there was one argument in favour of the “Ring of Steel” – if I remember rightly. Royston is indeed one of the lowest crime areas in the UK, and we think we’d like to KEEP IT THAT WAY [my emphasis!].

So what Royston needs is a “Ring of Steel”. After all, if your innocent, what are you afraid of?

Someone’s been watching Hot Fuzz a few too many times.

Fortunately, not everyone is inclined to roll-over when faced which this kind of nonsense. Here’s a link to a website that doesn’t pull any punches – http://www.no-cctv.org.uk/

I don’t want to repeat the contents of my earlier post, that is (a touch inevitable), apart from the Con-Dems own words:

We are determined to ensure that the significant increases in State surveillance which have occurred over the last decade should not go unchecked. Our coalition agreement sets out a package of measures which will roll back the over-intrusive powers of the State. We are committed to restoring and preserving our historic and valued traditions of freedom and fairness.

John Holtom

The Big Brother image – this is George Orwell’s 1984 rather than the facile reality TV rubbish made by Endemol – is borrowed from a number of websites although I cannot find the original source of the image. Here are two links to websites where it can be found. If the original image publishers would like a link or attribution, please contact me and I’ll gladly advertise any copyright ownership etc.

http://lhs1984hour1group2.wikispaces.com/file/view/Big-Brother-765717.jpg

http://skew.dailyskew.com/uploaded_images/Big-Brother-765717.jpg

Article posted on Friday, August, 5th, 2011 at 11:12 am

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