If CCTV was an expensive medical treatment, the government would have demanded compelling evidence before farming it out to private companies, which rake in serious cash from its manufacture. But instead MPs clamour for more, egged on by their constituents, because CCTV has been almost unresistingly accepted as an elixir for the low-level criminality and public disorder that most concerns the public, despite the fact that the limited research available does not bear this out. Deterrence is notoriously hard to evaluate, but the most comprehensive study, carried out in 2005, found little overall impact on crime levels. A four-year study in Cardiff found no reduction in street violence, although injuries were less severe because police and ambulances were alerted more swiftly.
– The Guardian
The controversial regime of control orders, which restricts the day-to-day activities of terrorist suspects, was watered down by the law lords yesterday, but they ruled that overall the system was legally sound.
Britain’s most senior judges ruled that the most draconian power of an 18-hour curfew breached the human right to liberty but held that 12 hours was acceptable. They also opened the way to defendants subject to control orders being given access to some of the key evidence against them.
– The Times
How do your fingers feel today? Sweaty or dry? Manual work, skin condition and age all affect the quality of your fingerprints, along with simpler things like pressing too hard or from an odd angle. But with the increasing use of fingerprint readers for biometric systems, correctly identifying your fingerprints is essential.
And it’s not as easy as you might think. Fingerprints are often incomplete or distorted. The same finger can give slightly different results every time. Pressing down and rotating your finger against a hard surface will distort the print, while a light touch means less of a print remains.
– The Guardian
Just two months ago, a parliamentary committee described the internet as a “wild west” and warned that immediate action was needed to stop the web from becoming a “playground of criminals”.
This week, the government said such talk was unwarranted, and that there was no evidence that online crime was a problem. What’s going on?
The argument centres on the House of Lords science and technology committee, which produced a damning report saying technology companies need to shoulder more responsibility for online safety – and exhorted the government to act immediately.
– The Guardian
The accused mastermind of Europe’s worst Islamist terrorist attack was cleared of all charges along with six others yesterday in a shock judgment that angered victims.
Twenty-one others were convicted of playing a role in the 2004 Madrid train bombings, though many of them on much lesser charges than the prosecution had sought.
– The Times
