“The power to intercept phone calls, emails and monitor internet use should only be available to the police and only where they can justify doing so. Councils should not have these powers under ANY circumstances.”

“totally agree with Sir_Chasm I bet the council operatives don't abide by the Official Secrets Act , that's if they have been vetted and signed up to it in the first place”

“Get your facts right - councils dont have the power to intercept or monitor internet usage, phone calls or email of members of the public. RIPA only covers councils for surveillance and the use of covert human intelligence sources.

Surveillance covers installing cameras to catch fly tipping, following benefit cheats to see where they are working or watching thugs causing antisocial behaviour to get evidence to take them to court. If any of that is directed at an individual (which it needs to be to catch them) or intended to be hidden (again most of the time it needs to be) then the council need a RIPA authorisation. I would suggest that all those things Ive mentioned are things that you'd be in uproar if the council didnt do!”

“there is a BIG difference between what councils are allowed to do under powers such as ripa and what they ACTUALLY do!

i refer to an ongoing case involving lincoln city council and corrupt members of lincoln police force. whereby a few innocent people have had their homes bugged with surveillance equipment placed by police and certain 'other' people. this is in conjunction with lincoln city council officals who turn a blind eye and who helped said individuals obtain keys to some council properties. know before any of you say anything let me inform you that the council used to hold keys to all of it's properties but no longer does.
this is current council policy.
this is part of a nice little set up between certain police officers and informants and a few council officals to all make money.
this is nothing new as the relationships between informants/police sources and their handlers has always been murky and something of a grey area. i should know as i am a police officer and get tired of the excuses the force peddles in order to make it's crooked's look straight.

so in summary corruption is a big part of life in the uk, even at local level and we must not simply sit back and say "its ok, as there are rules to what councils can and cant do with ripa" as if the council can do what i have mentioned then they will think nothing of going further.
it is widely accepted and known that this council is heavily corrupt. this is known as far afield as birmingham city council.”