I wrote here about the appalling problems bloggers had getting access to council meetings when councils were voting through service cuts last month.
High on the list of obstructive councils was Barnet. Not only did the council stop people from entering the public gallery at last month’s council meeting – it employed a security firm (MetPro) to remove cameras and recording equipment from bloggers (they took mine) and also, apparently, to film members of the public.
Another point worth making is that on several occasions during that 1 March meeting, security personnel overruled police. For example: the police were prepared to let people into the council chambers when seats became available in the public gallery there (a lot of us weren’t allowed in the public gallery at the start of the meeting. We were ushered into an “overflow” room.
As the night wore on, people left the public gallery in the council chambers, which meant that seats became available). Security overruled the police decision to allow people into the public gallery, though, and said that people in the overflow room had to stay put. I can attest to that, because I saw it with my very own eyes. In fact, it was even more intimate than that. I was one of the people who was told by police that I could go to the council chambers, only to be shooed from the chamber doors by security guards.
At tomorrow night’s council meeting in Barnet, bloggers and residents will present council leader Lynne Hillan with a letter which calls for an inquiry into MetPro’s relationship with the council. I’d like to see all the footage they shot of me, too. Rog T is reporting that Barnet council claims it destroyed the footage, but we’ll take it as given that that is bullshit. Apart from anything else – you can’t destroy footage these days even if you want to. There’ll be copies of that stuff in all sorts of hands.
Here’s a copy of the letter:
11 April 2011
To: Lynne Hillan, leader, Barnet Council and Nick Walkley, Chief Executive, Barnet Council
Cc: Eric Pickles, Secretary of State; Matthew Offord MP; Mike Freer MP; Theresa Villiers MP
Call for a public inquiry into the relationship between MetPro Rapid Response/MetPro Emergency Response and Barnet Council
Barnet council has been engaging private security firms MetPro Rapid Response/MetPro Emergency Response to control residents’ access to council meetings – in particular, the council meeting on 1 March 2011.
One of the company directors claims the company has also monitored blogs by Barnet residents and filmed Barnet residents at council meetings.
Despite holding contracts worth several hundred thousand pounds with Barnet council, MetPro Rapid Response collapsed recently owing around £400,000, including £245,000 to HM Revenue & Customs. The firm is now in the hands of liquidators; however, MetPro Emergency Response, a company recently set up by the same company directors associated with MetPro Rapid Response, continued for a while to be employed by Barnet after the collapse of MetPro Rapid Response.
As well as providing security for council meetings, these firms provided security at several council locations, including some housing vulnerable people.
At the meeting on 1 March, it appears that MetPro security staff did not wear visible identification, breaching Security Industry Authority (SIA) regulations, whilst working for Barnet.
Statements made by directors of the company regarding the scope of their work for Barnet have been contradicted by executive officers of Barnet council.
The full facts regarding Barnet council’s contract/s with MetPro Rapid Response/MetPro Emergency Response must be revealed to the public. We need to know about the use of data collected by the company (with full consideration for data protection and human rights implications). We need Barnet council to reveal the extent of the MetPro companies’ activities on behalf of the council. Residents and council staff have a right to know what activities their council undertake. They have a right to expect the council only to engage firms with a proven track record for such activities and to monitor such, ensuring, for example, that they comply with legislation – eg SIA regulations.
The only way that trust can be restored in Barnet Council, following the MetPro debacle, is to hold a full public inquiry. We the undersigned call on Nick Walkley, CEO of Barnet Council, and Lynne Hillan, Council Leader, to immediately engage an independent investigator, enjoying the confidence of Barnet residents, to look into the relationship between MetPro Rapid Response/MetPro Emergency Response and Barnet Council. We demand to know what Barnet Council asked MetPro Rapid Response/MetPro Emergency Response to do and what Barnet council has done with any information about residents it has had access to as a result of MetPro’s work.
More soon.
I hope they gave you your camera back otherwise it’s theft, plain and simple. And I presume you know all about data protection requirements to let you see any video of yourself.
What they did was confiscate my camera and backpack at the door. They said if I didn’t leave those things behind, I couldn’t attend the meeting. They put the gear in an (unattended) room and told me that I left it there at my own risk. I collected it after the meeting.
I’ll definitely be pursuing the data protection line when chasing that footage. Interestingly, Rog T is reporting that the council is claiming that it destroyed the footage. I think we’re all finding that one a little hard to swallow…
None of the directors of MetPro Rapid Response, which is now in liquidation owing £250,000 to the taxpayer, or the director of newly formed MetPro Emergency Response which took over the contract until it was terminated by Barnet this month, held the appropriate SIA licences for a company which provides security guarding – which is a criminal offence.
Directors of security companies are required to have one of three SIA licences depending on the role they play within the company. If they work on the frontline doing activities such as security guarding then they need a frontline licence for that activity.
Even if directors have no role on the frontline they still need a “non-frontline” licence to employ security guards if their employees are undertaking licensable activities.
Alternatively, if the director has a non-active role in the company and is simply a key holder they must still have a “key holder’s licence.”
One of MetPro Rapid Response’s directors, Luigi Mansi, holds a key holding licence but not a non-frontline licence.
Kevin Sharkey who was registered as a secretary of MetPro Rapid Response and claims he is owed £60,000 by the now defunct company, was working for MetPro Emergency Response at the Hendon Town Hall meeting on March 1 guarding the overflow room and telling attendees where they could and could not go. He also filmed the proceedings with a body-worn CCTV camera. Mr Sharkey has no licence whatsoever from the SIA.
Can some one ask the Met Police why are they not doing some thing now.laws have been broking our money has been giving away by LBB to a company that should never of been running in the 1st place
Sam
No one believes a word they say anymore. It is a complete F*****g joke. Even Tories I know are saying that the Metpro thing is disgusting. If it wasn’t for the bloggers, this bunch of C**ts would still be employed by the council. It really makes me sick, especially as they are doing their damnedist to get away with it. Just enrages me.
This compamy.it is still up and running in the totteridge and whetstone area getting money from residence in totteridge. same 4×4 same bikes same evo car and same kevin sharkey
driving it every day. and doing key holding with still no SIA licence. and still no police stopping him and his merry men braking the law.
They’re unbelievable & I am pursuing it. They filmed us and took our stuff and if they’re still operating, we need to hear more about it. This is such an issue and it will be interesting to see how it plays out across the country. I’ve had real hassles from councillors and senior managers in different parts of the country about recording council meetings and I don’t know if Neil’s advice on allowing bloggers has been taken up by as many councils as you’d like to think.
i have asked the police (in 2008) how can metpro use ANPR cameras to record and find out peoples addresses via their number plates and i got no response. I also asked when were they approved by the met police to carry and use handcuffs. No response.
also in their leaflet they claim to be fire trained and to get you out in the event of a fire within minutes of you calling them. as a fully trained firefighter with many years service , there claims are rubbish. If you need the fire brigade CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE ,not some fakers. While your talking to the dispatcher , at least 2 other staff in the control room are listening and acting on it , within seconds the nearest appliance is dispatched and the ambulance service is also notified along with the police , with house fires never is just one crew sent , multiple crews are sent as its better to be safe and have to stand down .
Metpro charge over £1500 a year just to give you a phone number to call if your worried ….a cheaper one is 999