All London Metropolitan police officers be chipped with RFID implants

HeXploiT

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2004
4,359
1
76
Every single Metropolitan police officer will be 'microchipped' so top brass can monitor their movements on a Big Brother style tracking scheme, it can be revealed today.

According to respected industry magazine Police Review, the plan - which affects all 31,000 serving officers in the Met, including Sir Ian Blair - is set to replace the unreliable Airwave radio system currently used to help monitor officer's movements.

The new electronic tracking device - called the Automated Personal Location System (APLS) - means that officers will never be out of range of supervising officers.

But many serving officers fear being turned into "Robocops" - controlled by bosses who have not been out on the beat in years.

According to service providers Telent, the new technology 'will enable operators in the Service's operations centres to identify the location of each police officer' at any time they are on duty - whether overground or underground.

Although police chiefs say the new technology is about 'improving officer safety' and reacting to incidents more quickly, many rank and file believe it is just a Big Brother style system to keep tabs on them and make sure they don't 'doze off on duty'.

Some officers are concerned that the system - which will be able to pinpoint any of the 31,000 officers in the Met to within a few feet of their location - will put a complete end to community policing and leave officers purely at the beck and call of control room staff rather than reacting to members of the public on the ground.

Pete Smyth, chairman of the Met Police Federation, said: "This could be very good for officers' safety but it could also involve an element of Big Brother.

"We need to look at it very carefully."

Other officers, however, were more scathing, saying the new system - set to be implemented within the next few weeks - will turn them into 'Robocops' simply obeying instructions from above rather than using their own judgement.

One officer, working in Peckham, south London, said: "They are keeping the exact workings of the system very hush-hush at the moment - although it will be similar to the way criminals are electronically tagged. There will not be any choice about wearing one.

"We depend on our own ability and local knowledge to react to situations accordingly.

"Obviously we need the back up and information from control, but a lot of us feel that we will simply be used as machines, or robots, to do what we are told with little or no chance to put in anything ourselves."

He added: "Most of us joined up so we could apply the law and think for ourselves, but if Sarge knows where we are every second of the day it just makes it difficult."

Another officer, who did not want to be named, said: "A lot of my time is spent speaking to people in cafes, parks or just wherever I'm approached. If I feel I've got my chief breathing down my neck to make another arrest I won't feel I'm doing my job properly."

The system is one of the largest of its kind in the world, according to Telent, the company behind the technology, although neither the Met nor Telent would provide Police Review with any more information about exactly how the system will work or what sort of devices officers will wear.

Nigel Lee, a workstream manager at the Met, said: "Safety is a primary concern for all police forces.

"The area served by our force covers 620 miles and knowing the location of our officers means that not only can we provision resource more quickly, but should an officer need assistance, we can get to them even more quickly."

Forces currently have the facility to track all their officers through GPS devices on their Airwave radio headsets, but this is subject to headsets being up to date and forces buying the back office systems to accompany them, according to Airwave.

Steve Rands, health and safety head for the Met Police Federation, told Police Review: "This is so that we know where officers are. Let us say that when voice distortion or sound quality over the radio is lost, if you cannot hear where that officer telling you where he is, you can still pinpoint his exact position by global positioning system.

"If he needs help but you cannot hear him for whatever reason, APLS will say where he is."

Source: Dialymail.uk

Don't need to say much. This is undoubtedly a major precedent in the life cycle of RFID.

 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Haha, I just sit incredulous. Only in England. THe place is a fvcking farce nowadays, heading toward an oppressive police state at a rate exceeding the most dire of predictions. Whatever is in this RFID could easily go into a belt, but that's too hard.

That said, this seems unbelievable. I'd rather see a supporting source.
 

Nebor

Lifer
Jun 24, 2003
29,582
11
76
Yup. I don't even know what to say. Except, this is what a nanny state will bring you. I'd much prefer the government attempt to provide nothing than attempt to provide everything. :(
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,095
513
126
I wonder what that douchebag Elton John has to say about this? Maybe he can write us another sappy song.
 
Oct 25, 2006
11,036
11
91
Originally posted by: Nebor
Yup. I don't even know what to say. Except, this is what a nanny state will bring you. I'd much prefer the government attempt to provide nothing than attempt to provide everything. :(

So you rather not have Highways, Public parks, public housing, roads, a health care system, insurance, a defense force, or anything that you take for granted?
 

cliftonite

Diamond Member
Jul 15, 2001
6,898
63
91
Originally posted by: Genx87
I wonder what that douchebag Elton John has to say about this? Maybe he can write us another sappy song.

Why exactly is he a douchebag?
 

palehorse

Lifer
Dec 21, 2005
11,521
0
76
the people of UK are so screwed...

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
So you rather not have Highways, Public parks, public housing, roads, a health care system, insurance, a defense force, or anything that you take for granted?
There's something good to be said of those who are not afraid to handle life on their own... and I'm also pretty damn sure that parks, housing, and insurance were not part of the vision our founding fathers had in mind when they set about creating what was supposed to be a very limited Federal government...
 

JD50

Lifer
Sep 4, 2005
11,630
2,014
126
Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Originally posted by: Nebor
Yup. I don't even know what to say. Except, this is what a nanny state will bring you. I'd much prefer the government attempt to provide nothing than attempt to provide everything. :(

So you rather not have Highways, Public parks, public housing, roads, a health care system, insurance, a defense force, or anything that you take for granted?

That is not what he said. Not even close.
 

bamacre

Lifer
Jul 1, 2004
21,030
2
61
Originally posted by: palehorse74
the people of UK are so screwed...

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
So you rather not have Highways, Public parks, public housing, roads, a health care system, insurance, a defense force, or anything that you take for granted?
There's something good to be said of those who are not afraid to handle life on their own... and I'm also pretty damn sure that parks, housing, and insurance were not part of the vision our founding fathers had in mind when they set about creating what was supposed to be a very limited Federal government...

Look at palehorse sounding like a paulbot. :D

 

HeXploiT

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2004
4,359
1
76
Originally posted by: palehorse74
the people of UK are so screwed...

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
So you rather not have Highways, Public parks, public housing, roads, a health care system, insurance, a defense force, or anything that you take for granted?
There's something good to be said of those who are not afraid to handle life on their own... and I'm also pretty damn sure that parks, housing, and insurance were not part of the vision our founding fathers had in mind when they set about creating what was supposed to be a very limited Federal government...

When you say it like that it sounds so normal and healthy but that can't be because I know you are an over the top extremist with unrealistic ideas.:D
 

Jaskalas

Lifer
Jun 23, 2004
33,381
7,444
136
There?s the mark of the devil if you ever needed one. We have met the enemy, and he is us.

First it?ll be required for certain groups like these officers. Then the elderly, the sick, the young. Then it?ll be like a vaccine. Good for society?s health and mandated as such for everyone everywhere.

You?ll need them to ?prove? your innocence and your alibi for crimes. Your kids won't be allowed in public schools without one. Heaven forbid they might get lost or something.

This is the future whether we want it or not. That's how mandates work, especially when they are for the government?s self interests.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Originally posted by: Nebor
Yup. I don't even know what to say. Except, this is what a nanny state will bring you. I'd much prefer the government attempt to provide nothing than attempt to provide everything. :(

So you rather not have Highways, Public parks, public housing, roads, a health care system, insurance, a defense force, or anything that you take for granted?

False dilemma. You can have all that and live in freedom too. Nanny state not required. This is not an issue of whether or not we can have those things, or what we must give up in order to acquire them, because we create them for ourselves, but an issue of who chooses what we get and how.

 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
0
England... good for them. This is what happens when you let the government slowly eat away at your rights.
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,894
47
91
www.alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: Perry404
Every single Metropolitan police officer will be 'microchipped' so top brass can monitor their movements on a Big Brother style tracking scheme, it can be revealed today.

According to respected industry magazine Police Review, the plan - which affects all 31,000 serving officers

Logan's Run

Of course many would agree with all of this.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
Originally posted by: JD50
Originally posted by: ultra laser
If only American pigs could get chipped.

Having trouble keeping track of your SO?
lolocaust.

I agree with Jaskalas that this is the future. As we gain in technology, it won't be long before we all have our DNA in a database somewhere "just in case" and are tracked constantly for the protection of everyone and the greater good. All we can do I suppose is try to delay it. It's not even so much that I'm against greater tech for security, but in England it doesn't buy security; their crime is still highly pervasive and the main result of their ass-backwards laws they're passing at a blinding rate is the theivery of common sense and essential freedoms which, until recently, were taken for granted.

 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,377
126
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: JD50
Originally posted by: ultra laser
If only American pigs could get chipped.

Having trouble keeping track of your SO?
lolocaust.

I agree with Jaskalas that this is the future. As we gain in technology, it won't be long before we all have our DNA in a database somewhere "just in case" and are tracked constantly for the protection of everyone and the greater good. All we can do I suppose is try to delay it. It's not even so much that I'm against greater tech for security, but in England it doesn't buy security; their crime is still highly pervasive and the main result of their ass-backwards laws they're passing at a blinding rate is the theivery of common sense and essential freedoms which, until recently, were taken for granted.

Imagine what the bad guys can do with this kind of tech :)

Anyway, RFID is shite for tracking people. I can't believe this stupid pile of shit got passed. What happens if an Officer isn't in range of an RFID Transceiver?

The cops should stand together, demand an updated GPS setup for every uniform, and be done with it. GPS is more precise overall, and doesn't suffer any black spots where RFID stations aren't set up. Plus you can take the damned thing off when you end your shift. Additionally criminals can't easily scan you for RFID to find out whether you're a cop or not.

I imagine undercover cops must be exempt to this, or they're royally fucked. Are you a cop? "No, I swear" *Scanning* *Ding!* "Allright, put this filthy bastard in the ground!".

I know the English can't be this fucking stupid, right? Is this a late April Fools?
 

manowar821

Diamond Member
Mar 1, 2007
6,063
0
0
Skoorb: It's not only in Europe... Just wait for our turn.

We've been screaming this at the top of our lungs for years. Europe is just a few years ahead of us, since they have less personal liberty to begin with. They're the perfect test bed for this kind of shit.

Anyway... It's been said plenty of times, but it never looses its meaning; Our rights will not be taken by force, we will demand for them to be taken, "for our own good".
 

HeXploiT

Diamond Member
Jun 11, 2004
4,359
1
76
Originally posted by: manowar821


Anyway... It's been said plenty of times, but it never looses its meaning; Our rights will not be taken by force, we will demand for them to be taken, "for our own good".

That's damned ugly although it sounds accurate to date.
 

vhx

Golden Member
Jul 19, 2006
1,151
0
0
Can't wait for someone to leak the tracker device (or frequency?) to the criminals. This has backfire written all over it.

Is this going in the body? I assume they wouldn't be that stupid.
 

Enig101

Senior member
May 21, 2006
362
0
0
Wow, this thread has overreaction written all over it.

This is a lot different from tagging the general public. The officers will only be kept track of when they're on duty. I imagine it will be part of the uniform. As for whether the increase in safety and efficiency is worth possibly reducing/removing the officers' individual autonomy.. I don't really have the expertise to say. It seems like they are approaching it carefully enough, with thought to possible negative consequences, so I don't see the problem in trying it out.

You may not like the more socialist design of the UK, but at least they give thought to negative consequences. The US is far more guilty of being reckless.

Say it reduces officer deaths by 10%? Worth it?
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Originally posted by: Nebor
Yup. I don't even know what to say. Except, this is what a nanny state will bring you. I'd much prefer the government attempt to provide nothing than attempt to provide everything. :(

So you rather not have Highways, Public parks, public housing, roads, a health care system, insurance, a defense force, or anything that you take for granted?

state issue, state issue, no, state issue, no, state issue, Okay I agree on this, depends on constitutional role.
 

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
Originally posted by: Enig101


Say it reduces officer deaths by 10%? Worth it?

Hell No. Give me Liberty or give me death. Those words mean anything to you?