Police control of classified information

[David Hansen]

On 9 Apr 2009 at 13:33, Roland Perry wrote:

> What this incident exposes is the fact that the Westminster area is 
> regarded as a "campus" by those working in it. It's full of perfectly 
> adequately secure buildings, but from time to time people move from one 
> to another (often using secure vehicles) on public streets - and some 
> like Downing Street which are a strange hybrid of private goldfish tank.
> 
> I'm not sure I'd want the solution to be even more exclusion of the 
> public or prohibition of photography.

The solution is less exclusion of the public. If the Thatcher Memorial 
Gates were ripped down and the public once again allowed to walk up and 
down what is a public street then officials like Mr Quick would 
undoubtedly be more careful what they do with bits of paper.

Mr Quick could also have walked from, presumably, (New) New Scotland 
Yard very easily, it can't be much more than 600m door to door. Instead 
of posing by arriving by car and going in the front door there are 
other ways to get in which I imagine avoid press photographers.

There is presumably also a tunnel route between the two places, should 
he be concerned about persons unknown stealing the bits of paper. That 
would be far safer then using a car through the streets of London, it 
is not unknown for people in cars to be attacked.

No matter how he made the trip the piece of paper, and quite possibly 
other pieces of paper, should have been locked in a suitable container. 
To do otherwise is undoubtedly a criminal offence under the various 
Official Secrets Acts.
 
> >Presumably senior Police officers have to handle "real SECRET"
> >documents from time to time
> 
> And take them to briefing meetings, rather than people always having to 
> "go to the documents".

I went to a meeting with "real SECRET" documents. The meeting was 
partly a briefing for the various organisations involved in the 
particular activity we were planning and partly a planning meeting. I 
walked through the centre of a UK city with them. In order to avoid 
"going to the documents" I had the whole file with me, not something I 
would have done had it not been necessary.




-- 
  David Hansen, Edinburgh 
 I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents 
me   
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54