I was gemused to read recently about the scheme being operated in Norwich (at the request of the police) by a number of second hand stores re collecting customers' thumbprints.
Customers are being asked to leave a thumbprint when trading in second-hand goods for cash, in order to stop criminals making money out of stolen items.
The police say that the prints would be kept in shops, not on any central database, and police investigating other crimes would be able to examine them.
Inspector Lisa Hooper said that the idea was to act as a deterrence to thieves from trying to sell stolen property in second-hand shops. I would venture to suggest that the thieves would simply fence their stolen booty in another area/town.
Anyhoo, Inspector Hooper said:
"The scheme will deter criminals from even trying to sell property to the shops who have signed up to the scheme, it will not affect law-abiding customers so they need not (have) fear of their thumbprint being obtained.
It is purely to put a stop to the flow of stolen goods in the city and in the second-hand shops who are the ones who feel the financial cost if stolen items are recovered by police, even though they genuinely bought the items from the customer.
We hope that customers will support the scheme and voluntarily allow their thumbprint to be taken."
All very well, maybe.
However, what happens to the thumbprint data of innocent people when it is accessed by the police?
Presumably the data has to be taken back to the police station for comparison with that of alleged criminals, and for comparison with "scene of crime" forensics data?
How secure is the data in the shops anyway, and how long do they keep it?
Are customers under any legal obligation to provide thumbprints?
The scheme seems riddled ethical and security flaws to me.
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"it will not affect law-abiding customers so they need not (have) fear of their thumbprint being obtained."
ReplyDeleteTranslation:
"If you've got nothing to hide you've got nothing to fear."
I would expect this sort of s**t from an ignorant bobby but a f*****g inspector..! If I set the law anyone in authority who sprouted words to that effect wouldn't even get a new job as a plastic PCSO never mind a sodding inspector.
Plod will not be able to resist keeping the prints.....Yet again, another example of lazy policing.
ReplyDeleteYet another example of inocent people being treated like criminals.
I am sure a Nanny yes sheep will still bleat; "If you've got nothing to hide.....Bahhhhhhhhh"
Welcome to the prison island formally known as Great Britain.
I wonder how long the cooperation between the police and shopkeepers will last…….
ReplyDeleteWith your help, Mr. Shopkeeper, we have successfully managed to track down the criminal who sold you those goods
‘I’m glad that I could have been of service, but there was no need for you to come all this way to thank me’
We are not here to thank you, we are placing you under arrest
‘What the fuck for?’
Dealing in stolen goods……You do not have to say anything…..etc
‘Doh!’
Gary, by the time the constabulary get round to the shop the crim's mates will have already delivered a pair of broken legs.
ReplyDeleteThis is clearly an excellent programme for improving the income of farmers who hold car boot sales on their land.
Of course, once the thumbprint readers are installed in all the Pubs to confirm who is selling what in the car park, the readers can be used to check the age of drinkers and whether they are non-approved persons who should be reported to Nanny.
Are the shops registered under the Data Protection Act?
ReplyDeleteStill, look on the bright side - there's probably less chance of this data going missing than from supposedly secure Govt departments...
A FUTURE FAIR FOR ALL
ReplyDeleteSorry - off topic, but Gordon Broon said last night he disagreed with Conservative, and Lib Dem, plans to take away child credits - even though he knows they would only take them from higher / middle earners, not lower earners.
So he is actually saying it's right that someone (with no kids) on 15K a year pays tax towards "credits" being payed out to someone (with kids) on 50K a year.
Where's the fucking fairness in that ?
Unintended consequences...
ReplyDeleteSecond hand shops take a nose dive in turnover, as innocent & guilty alike rebel against being unlawfully thumb-printed..... Ebay reports sudden surge in private sellers........ Local councils lose income as yet more small shops close their doors...
Can anyone think of any more...?