The Last Enemy
Out 10th March, 2008
Universal Playback
The Last Enemy is an emotional odyssey that follows a man in search of the truth about what happened to his brother and his society. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Anamaria Marinca, Max Beesley and Robert Carlyle, it’s a cautionary tale about technology, with identity cards, biometric tests and armed police becoming an everyday presence in our lives.
The so-called ‘Big Brother’ issue divides opinion between those who believe in security and those who fear a state-controlled dystopia.
Peter Jenkins, a surveillance expert, shares his thoughts on this most contentious of debates.
First of all, who are we and what do we do?
To keep it simple, we teach people how to conduct surveillance – how to follow people (or ‘impose surveillance’ as we say in the trade) in order to gather intelligence or evidence.
How do we do it?
Wherever the target goes, we go, regardless of how they get about by vehicle, on foot, by public transport or even boat. We may even use satellite tracking systems which are becoming more commonplace in the role of investigation.
Why do we do it?
Because there’s a demand. We’re the good guys, teaching other good guys trying to catch the bad guys who are a risk to our security and well being.
Some ask, ‘Are we in a ‘Big Brother Society?’
I would answer yes and no. In the UK, I can carry out my everyday activities whilst being under constant surveillance but none of it actually limits my individual freedom or prevents me from doing anything lawful. However, if I was a criminal or terrorist knowing that so much surveillance was in place I would either be deterred from carrying out my activities or create other ways of not being detected or caught. A constant battle evolving from prehistoric times, I invent a spear, you invent a shield…
Big Brother?
The public at large are under constant surveillance by one form or another. I make a mobile phone call. The service provider knows roughly where I am and who I have called. I am currently in London on business and contemplate what surveillance I have been under, over the past few days.
Someone (or a computer) knows that I am here, I had to drive into the Congestion Zone, and so they have my car registration and credit card details before my wheels have even stopped.
The hotel has cameras in the lobby, the car park and lift. They know when I’m in my room due of the ‘swipe’ key used to open the door. If I remove something from the mini-bar, it gets logged in the reception, so does the movie that I watch on pay TV. When I leave the hotel, I will retain the ‘swipe’ key as there is a good chance it will have my personal details recorded in the magnetic strip that someone could use to clone my identity.
I come out of the hotel and see three CCTV cameras on the first street corner. I walk into Victoria train station and see another series of cameras covering the entrance. I take the underground tube under the observance of CCTV for the whole duration of the journey, cameras in the walkways, on the escalators, platforms and in the carriages. I am also tracked via my Oyster Card which logs where and when I get on and off the tube. I get on a bus, again using my Oyster Card and the details are logged under the watch of a camera on the top deck.
Excessive surveillance?
Maybe, but I have nothing to hide and the question I ask myself is, am I bothered or upset by it? The answer has to be a big no (except for the mini-bar portion). I am not bothered or perturbed by all this surveillance because I am not doing anything unlawful and more to the point I ask myself who’s interested, who’s bothered and who is actually tracking me – no one. All of this data is just data stored on a system somewhere.
Look at it this way, do you really believe that there is someone watching these CCTV monitors and are actually interested in you, alongside the other 60 million others in the UK? Apparently, Britain has about five million CCTV cameras, that’s one for every 12 people but it would take some 44,000+ CCTV operators at any one time to monitor it effectively. CCTV is more often monitored live in order to target individuals in high risk areas (the targeting of pickpockets operating on Oxford Street is a prime example).
The only other time targeted monitoring does take place is generally historic. Where an event raises concern, such as a robbery, a car theft in the car park, or that last known movements of a missing child are trying to be established.
Only be afraid if you have something to be afraid of…
The Last Enemy is available to buy on DVD from the 10th March, 2008 courtesy of Universal Playback www.universal-playback.com.
www.intelsecurity.co.uk (01423 712265)
Universal Playback
The Last Enemy is an emotional odyssey that follows a man in search of the truth about what happened to his brother and his society. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Anamaria Marinca, Max Beesley and Robert Carlyle, it’s a cautionary tale about technology, with identity cards, biometric tests and armed police becoming an everyday presence in our lives.
The so-called ‘Big Brother’ issue divides opinion between those who believe in security and those who fear a state-controlled dystopia.
Peter Jenkins, a surveillance expert, shares his thoughts on this most contentious of debates.
First of all, who are we and what do we do?
To keep it simple, we teach people how to conduct surveillance – how to follow people (or ‘impose surveillance’ as we say in the trade) in order to gather intelligence or evidence.
How do we do it?
Wherever the target goes, we go, regardless of how they get about by vehicle, on foot, by public transport or even boat. We may even use satellite tracking systems which are becoming more commonplace in the role of investigation.
Why do we do it?
Because there’s a demand. We’re the good guys, teaching other good guys trying to catch the bad guys who are a risk to our security and well being.
Some ask, ‘Are we in a ‘Big Brother Society?’
I would answer yes and no. In the UK, I can carry out my everyday activities whilst being under constant surveillance but none of it actually limits my individual freedom or prevents me from doing anything lawful. However, if I was a criminal or terrorist knowing that so much surveillance was in place I would either be deterred from carrying out my activities or create other ways of not being detected or caught. A constant battle evolving from prehistoric times, I invent a spear, you invent a shield…
Big Brother?
The public at large are under constant surveillance by one form or another. I make a mobile phone call. The service provider knows roughly where I am and who I have called. I am currently in London on business and contemplate what surveillance I have been under, over the past few days.
Someone (or a computer) knows that I am here, I had to drive into the Congestion Zone, and so they have my car registration and credit card details before my wheels have even stopped.
The hotel has cameras in the lobby, the car park and lift. They know when I’m in my room due of the ‘swipe’ key used to open the door. If I remove something from the mini-bar, it gets logged in the reception, so does the movie that I watch on pay TV. When I leave the hotel, I will retain the ‘swipe’ key as there is a good chance it will have my personal details recorded in the magnetic strip that someone could use to clone my identity.
I come out of the hotel and see three CCTV cameras on the first street corner. I walk into Victoria train station and see another series of cameras covering the entrance. I take the underground tube under the observance of CCTV for the whole duration of the journey, cameras in the walkways, on the escalators, platforms and in the carriages. I am also tracked via my Oyster Card which logs where and when I get on and off the tube. I get on a bus, again using my Oyster Card and the details are logged under the watch of a camera on the top deck.
Excessive surveillance?
Maybe, but I have nothing to hide and the question I ask myself is, am I bothered or upset by it? The answer has to be a big no (except for the mini-bar portion). I am not bothered or perturbed by all this surveillance because I am not doing anything unlawful and more to the point I ask myself who’s interested, who’s bothered and who is actually tracking me – no one. All of this data is just data stored on a system somewhere.
Look at it this way, do you really believe that there is someone watching these CCTV monitors and are actually interested in you, alongside the other 60 million others in the UK? Apparently, Britain has about five million CCTV cameras, that’s one for every 12 people but it would take some 44,000+ CCTV operators at any one time to monitor it effectively. CCTV is more often monitored live in order to target individuals in high risk areas (the targeting of pickpockets operating on Oxford Street is a prime example).
The only other time targeted monitoring does take place is generally historic. Where an event raises concern, such as a robbery, a car theft in the car park, or that last known movements of a missing child are trying to be established.
Only be afraid if you have something to be afraid of…
The Last Enemy is available to buy on DVD from the 10th March, 2008 courtesy of Universal Playback www.universal-playback.com.
www.intelsecurity.co.uk (01423 712265)
