NationStates Jolt Archive


Our (UK) security services are sooo good!

Rubiconic Crossings
14-08-2006, 16:28
So we can't even look after our own security cards...great.

Little story (I think some of our military people here at NS might have undergone this)...

There was a security test at a NATO airbase...soldier walks on base via front gate all uniformed up and security badge on the breast pocket.

He made it all the way to the flightline....to one of the airplane shelters/bunkers....before an Airman noticed that the names on the uniform and badge did not match.
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http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1180692006

Government loses 24,000 ID passes
JAMES KIRKUP POLITICAL EDITOR

* Whitehall internal audits reveals number of missing security passes
* Passes allow armed forces to access military sites and Whitehall offices
* Potentially embarrassing figures released during 76-day summer break

Key quote
"These figures are worrying in these days of heightened concern about security. The Ministry of Defence in particular - but other departments as well - should be concerned that so many official documents allowing entry to sensitive sites are lost or stolen" - SIMON HUGHES, LIBDEMS

Story in full MORE than 24,500 government security passes giving access to military sites and sensitive Whitehall offices have gone missing in the past three years, fuelling fears about the British state's vulnerability to terrorism.

The startling number of government identity documents unaccounted for has been revealed in a series of internal audits conducted by Whitehall departments and seen by The Scotsman.

Since last week's foiling of an alleged UK terrorist plot to bomb US-bound airliners, all government facilities have been placed at a high state of alert, and opposition MPs said the loss of so many security passes was deeply troubling.

The majority of the missing security passes were issued by the Ministry of Defence to members of the armed forces. In all, the MoD has lost track of 22,731 forces passes since the start of 2004. More than 4,600 military passes have gone missing since the start of this year alone.

The MoD's civilian staff are also understood to have lost hundreds of identity passes, but the ministry has admitted it does not keep a count of how many of its civilian ID cards have been lost.

Official figures show that staff at several other major Whitehall departments have also mislaid identity passes.

The passes have the legal status of official government documents and anyone finding them is obliged to hand them to the police, but many never are.

The Cabinet Office, which houses several intelligence-related bodies and adjoins No 10, mislaid more than 50 passes in a single year. In all, the department's staff lost 20 passes during 2004 while another 31 were reported stolen.

In less than three years, staff at Gordon Brown's Treasury headquarters have lost 62 passes. Another four have been stolen from officials on the Chancellor's staff.

Among the other government departments that have mislaid passes according to official internal counts:

• The Department of the Environment, Food Rural Affairs has lost 382 passes. Another 37 have been stolen.

• The Department of Trade and Industry reported losses and thefts of 582.

• The Department for Constitutional Affairs - lost 713, stolen 52.

• The Department for International Development - lost 105, stolen five.

The ministries were forced to tally and disclose their lost passes by Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat president, in a string of parliamentary requests.

Illustrating the sensitivity of the figures, several of the departments chose to issue their answers to Mr Hughes' questions in the last days of the parliamentary session last month, when ministries traditionally try to slip out potentially embarrassing information.

The MoD waited until parliament had actually begun its 76-day summer break before publishing its figures, meaning even MPs would have little access to the data until October.

"These figures are worrying in these days of heightened concern about security. The Ministry of Defence in particular - but other departments as well - should be concerned that so many official documents allowing entry to sensitive sites are lost or stolen," Mr Hughes said.

Patrick Mercer, the Tory homeland security spokesman, said: "Identity passes are a vital security tool and their loss is likely to compromise the efforts of the police and others to safeguard British national security."

In a written statement, Tom Watson, a defence minister, downplayed the risk. "Identity cards carry a photograph of the holder and other features that inhibit their fraudulent replication," he said.
Hydesland
14-08-2006, 16:33
Reminds me of the Royals party gatecrash.
Kecibukia
14-08-2006, 16:35
Remember, trust your Gov't. They are the only ones responsible enough and trained enough to protect you.
Not bad
14-08-2006, 16:44
Not to worry once the national ID is in place all these SNAFUs will be a thing of the past.
Rubiconic Crossings
14-08-2006, 16:55
Not to worry once the national ID is in place all these SNAFUs will be a thing of the past.

don't get me started on ID cards....

heard the latest? they want to link your cards (credit/debit/store) to this system...so that every transaction is not only recorded but also it flags the system when a 'wanted' persons card is used at the till.

So I fully expect the checkout to be manned by people ready to spring into action at a moments notice when Percy the traffic fine non payer does his weekly shop.

:rolleyes:

I must wonder what the point is really. Are they going to have police in the shops to jump on people who 'fail'? How will this work? System gets flagged...police notified....police find available resource to send to shop ... and the 'perp' is most likely on his way home...usually the home being the address on the Credit/Debit/Store card.

:headbang:
Not bad
14-08-2006, 17:35
I must wonder what the point is really. Are they going to have police in the shops to jump on people who 'fail'? How will this work? System gets flagged...police notified....police find available resource to send to shop ... and the 'perp' is most likely on his way home...usually the home being the address on the Credit/Debit/Store card.

:headbang:

That is where the cameras in place on every corner spring into action and film the suspects every move on the way home with the shopping.
Rubiconic Crossings
14-08-2006, 17:51
That is where the cameras in place on every corner spring into action and film the suspects every move on the way home with the shopping.

yeah...I've taken up giving all camera's the V sign .... there are just too bloody many of them!
Rubiconic Crossings
14-08-2006, 20:37
Reminds me of the Royals party gatecrash.

Micheal Fagin? Where he was found sat at the end of the Queens bed?

Oh no...I just had an even worse thought...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_Royal_Knockout