Large changes 2009 in EU security politics
Draft Programme of the trio of Presidencies in JHA [libertysecurity] The French, Czech and Swedish Presidencies will coincide with a period of significant changes for the European Union. The end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 will be the last period of full-scale activity for the European Parliament and the Commission. The elections to […]
New technology at Ben Gurion airport allows customs officers to view passengers naked
Bethlehem – Ma’an – The customs office at the Ben Gurion airport announced that a new x-ray machine has been developed for use in the airport which will allow officers to strip-search passengers without having them take their clothes off. Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv reported on Friday that the new technology will be in use one […]
Germans develop submarine-launched UAV
[theregister.co.uk] You have to do something special these days to make your flying robot stand out from the swarm – but remorselessly efficient German designers have done just that. They plan to offer small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) which can be launched and controlled from a submerged submarine. The UAV in question is called VOLANS […]
I.B.M. System to Scan Streets at Beijing Olympics
When the 2008 Olympic Games kick off in Beijing next year, organizers will be using a sophisticated computer system to scan video images of city streets looking for everything from troublemakers to terrorists. [nytimes.com] The IBM system, called the Smart Surveillance System, or S3, uses analytic tools to index digital video recordings and then issue […]
China’s All-Seeing Eye
With the help of U.S. defense contractors, China is building the prototype for a high-tech police state. It is ready for export. [naomiklein.org] Thirty years ago, the city of Shenzhen didn’t exist. Back in those days, it was a string of small fishing villages and collectively run rice paddies, a place of rutted dirt roads […]
UK: Police stops increase to 2m in year, government figures show
[guardian.co.uk] The number of people stopped by the police in 2007 has jumped by more than one-third in the past year to nearly 2 million, government figures showed today. In the British Crime Survey published today by the Ministry of Justice, police stopped 1.87 million people in 2006/07, where people were asked to account for […]
UK: ‚Big Brother‘ government costs us £20billion
The cost of Britain’s "surveillance society" measures is now running at £20 billion, a new report reveals today. [telegraph.co.uk] The amount is equivalent to £800 per household and includes £19 billion for the planned ID card system and £500 million for CCTV cameras. The report by the TaxPayers’ Alliance was highlighted by David Davis, the […]
Bird on a Wire – Flying Wing UAV Recharges on the Fly
[aviationweek.com] "The first stable flying wing that does not require recurve, reflex or sweep…" That’s how Defense Research Associates (DRA) describes its DevilRay UAV. Lacking any of the aforementioned features or a tail for stability, the DevilRay instead uses what Dayton, Ohio-based DRA calls an "inverse capped helix winglet" (abbreviated to i-CHeW, I kid you […]
Microwave Ray Gun Controls Crowds with Noise
A US company claims it is ready to build a microwave ray gun able to beam sounds directly into people’s heads. [abcnews.go.com] The device – dubbed MEDUSA (Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio) – exploits the microwave audio effect, in which short microwave pulses rapidly heat tissue, causing a shockwave inside the skull that can […]
Italy to fingerprint all Roma gipsy children
Around 80,000 gipsy children are to be fingerprinted by the Italian authorities under a new scheme that has drawn comparisons to the policies of Benito Mussolini. [telegraph.co.uk] The Italian government has blamed immigrants, and particularly Roma gipsies, for the country’s crime problems. Since Silvio Berlusconi became prime minister in April, gypsy camps in the south […]
UK: DNA database built on deceit
Innocent people swept up in inquisitorial fervour [theinquirer.net] THE UK GOVERNMENT has justified keeping the details of innocent people on the National DNA Database with shameless propaganda, according to a report by Genewatch. The campaign group tackled claims repeated by Prime Munster Gordon Brown for retaining the DNA records of people picked up by the […]
CCTV doesn’t keep us safe, yet the cameras are everywhere
[guardian.co.uk] Pervasive security cameras don’t substantially reduce crime. There are exceptions, of course, and that’s what gets the press. Most famously, CCTV cameras helped catch James Bulger’s murderers in 1993. And earlier this year, they helped convict Steve Wright of murdering five women in the Ipswich area. But these are the well-publicised exceptions. Overall, CCTV […]
Raven UAVs Winning Gold in Afghanistan’s “Commando Olympics”
[defenseindustrydaily.com] Back on Feb 24, 2005, DID covered the success the RQ-11 Raven mini-UAV was enjoying in Iraq. In November 2005, StrategyPage reported that the RQ-11 Raven was also turning heads in what it calls “the commando Olympics” of Afghanistan: “In addition to all the cooperation, there’s also a lot comparing notes. One thing everyone […]
CCTV cameras ‚taught to listen‘
CCTV cameras which use artificial intelligence software are being developed to "hear" sounds like windows smashing, researchers have revealed. [bbc.co.uk] University of Portsmouth scientists are working on adapting the software so it can also react to crowd noise. Crimes would be captured on camera faster and response times improved. The news comes after the BBC […]
Italy defends move to patrol streets with soldiers
[abc.net] The Italian government has defended its decision to use soldiers to patrol cities in an effort to curb crime, rejecting criticism that it will "militarise" the streets. "There is a strong call from citizens for better control of the streets, for improved safety," Defence Minister Ignazio La Russa told Sky Italia television. "My hope […]
Security Governance / Counter-Terrorism Laboratory
We Test Ideas [unicri] The changing geopolitical climate requires international entities to quickly adapt in order to meet new threats and challenges. UNICRI’s Lab is expanding rapidly in order to help Member States meet those challenges. Based on 5 years of experience in the Security Governance and Counter-Terrorism field, UNICRI is launching the Security […]
Robo-fish may monitor future oil spills
[cnet.com] Propelled by a servo-actuated two-link tails and flapping pectoral fins, a new breed of robofish programmed to swim in schools may soon be used to track oil spills or wildlife such as whales, according to researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle. By mimicking a fish’s natural propulsion mechanics these "autonomous fin-actuated underwater […]
Flight Competition of Micro Drones
Vorfreude auf die AIRTEC 2008! Sehr geehrter Aussteller, sehr geehrter Besucher, schon kurz nach dem erfolgreichen Ende der AIRTEC im Oktober 2007 haben die Planungen für die AIRTEC 2008 vom 11. bis 14. November 2008 begonnen. Der hohe Zuspruch sowohl der Fachbesucher als auch der Aussteller hat gezeigt, wie wichtig die Fachmesse schon nach ihrer zweiten […]
Hats banned from Yorkshire pubs over CCTV fears
[telegraph.co.uk] Pubs in Yorkshire have been ordered to ban people from wearing flat caps or other hats so troublemakers can be more easily recognised. The Park Hotel in Wadsley, Sheffield, is the latest to be asked to impose the rule by senior police officers. Mark Kelly, the landlord said: "Police asked us to ensure that […]
Lockheed Martin running the 2011 UK census
[email] The next UK Census (in 2011), in which participation is compulsory, might be run by an arms company with close links to the United States government, and which also focuses on intelligence and surveillance work. See below for more info. What’s the problem? The process of running the 2011 Census will be contracted out […]