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Monday, May 18, 3:17:08 [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3] ]

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Date Posted: 21:30:44 07/19/04 Mon
Author: Beth
Subject: Spy Cameras Rathenraw Secret Discussions

A Group of Community Workers in the South Antrim area say they are "growing more and more dependent on rumours and leaks from "Council whistleblowers" regarding community safety, instead of "any open and transparent consultation process by local public authorities."


Participants at an Antrim Community Forum claim, there has been no public consultation about proposals to install Hi Tech surveillance cameras at Housing Estates and Schools in the Antrim Borough.

An Antrim Forum Community Activist who recently attended a Community Relations Council consultation entitled "A Shared Future" held in the Dunadry Inn said, "sectarian attacks and murders in Antrim featured high during the consultation as well as a "lacking" of local political representation at the "CRC Conference" funded by the Office of the First and deputy Minister.

She added, "I am not one bit surprised that discussions concerning cameras and their locations are surrounded by secrecy, because it seems to me that the local council and other public bodies in Antrim, are excluding the public from decision making as much as possible."

But these claims were rejected outright by spokesperson for Antrim Council Elish Martin who said: "The Council is not considering installing CCTV at this moment of time." The Antrim Council, she said, was a facilitator at times for mediation and good community relations and does not enable any secrets talks. She said that a mediation panel was discussing CCTV installation but no decisions have been made.

When was asked for contact details or a group composition of the "Mediation Panel" she said, "I don't know their identity or what groups they represent."

A Community Development Worker who claims she has "not only seen but read" Antrim CCTV proposals said, "The prime focus and proposed locations for the cameras' seem to be "fixated" with screening Nationalists."

A spokeswoman for Antrim police said: "The Local Community Safety Partnership is looking at various initiatives on a wide range of community issues in Antrim including tensions surrounding the schools and the idea (of CCTV) at this stage, was in its infancy, with no draft proposals drawn up".

Community Activists, who are estimating the Antrim Surveillance operation costs as high as €250,000 per annum, are adamant that both, "an exclusive evaluation committee has been formed and financed by the local council and that advanced proposals for state of the art CCTV surveillance installation at Antrim housing estates and schools also exist."

Alison Offer, spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Office Community Safety Unit said, "We are not aware of any bid from the Local Borough Strategy Partnership relating to a CCTV scheme."

The CRC Consultation September 9th 2003 at Dunadry Inn visit can be accessed and a list of names of those in attendance at the web page below
http://www.asharedfutureni.gov.uk/pdf_documents/antrimforum.pdf

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