COUNCIL ‘SPIES’ PROBING ILLEGAL ‘DOG BREEDERS’
Dodgy cigarette sales also investigated
COUNCIL officers used ‘spy’ powers to investigate illegal dog breeding and the sale of counterfeit cigarettes last year, a new report shows.
Stoke-on-trent City Council granted five authorisations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) in the past year, after not using the powers at all in 2020.
Four related to ‘directed surveillance’, while the fifth involved a ‘covert human intelligence source’.
Local authorities are allowed to spy on residents and businesses in order to fight crime, such as through the use of hidden cameras, but this is restricted and regulated.
A new council report sets out how the spy powers were used in 2021 – although the details are omitted as the cases are still ongoing.
The first two authorisations relate to an investigation in July 2021 into the sale of illicit cigarettes across multiple shops in the city.
The report states: “Unfortunately, the first authorisation did not achieve any results due to a failure in equipment.
“Additional improved equipment has now been sourced and the profile of this trader updated.
“The surveillance for the second authorisation proved useful in providing evidence that several sales of suspected illicit tobacco took place and further action is being taken.”
The third authorisation, in November, also related to the sale of illicit tobacco in shops across Stoke-on-trent. Evidence that sales took place was obtained, and further action is being taken.
In December 2021, the council authorised directed surveillance and the use of a covert human intelligence source as part of an investigation into illegal dog breeding.
The evidence gathered was of ‘exceptional quality’ and it is anticipated that ‘significant enforcement action’ will be taken.
Cabinet members will discuss the RIPA report and be asked to approve an update to the policy.
The report states: “The council doesn’t use these powers regularly and uses the RIPA policy in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear legal mandate, and it is in the public interest to do so.”
The updated policy includes a section covering surveillance through social media, with guidance on the use of fake Facebook profiles as part of investigations.
It states investigators should only use a council social media account, and not their own personal account, and that they should ‘only collect information relevant to proving the offence’ being investigated.