UK : East : Cops now considering mobile phone surveillance

[General Lighting]

This is an expanded version of the report from last weekend...

it costs money and requires more resources to deal with the bureaucracy involved in getting mobile phone info

but the cops are now prepared to put in the effort..

its also fairly simple for them just to get lists of "who called what number" as its seen as less intrusive than tapping a voice circuit

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=ed ponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED02%20Mar%202008% 2019%3A35%3A43%3A837

the more people keep pushing the more "freedoms" can easily be taken away..

Police last night hailed efforts to stop a weekend rave in a west Norfolk village as evidence their new “zero-tolerance” of illegal parties was working.

Fourteen people were arrested after a tip-off that a party was under way from a landowner at South Acre, near Swaffham, early yesterday morning.

Another 20 were dispersed from an event across the border near Eye in Suffolk at almost the same time.

Chief Inspector Nick Davison said yesterday it was a further sign of Norfolk police's new tough line against raves, which he said disrupted people's lives, damaged the environment and put people at risk as some ravers might be tempted to drive home under the influence of drink or drugs.

But he admitted that the battle to stop raves was not easy.

“There is a bit of a cat-and-mouse game here,” he said. “We do not want to reveal our tactics as they do not want to reveal theirs.

“We will look to find our intelligence and resources from wherever we can get it from.”

Use of mobile phones to organise raves was hard for police to crack, he said.

But he added that the Association of Chief Police Officers was looking to get help from mobile phone providers.

Five vehicles and sound equipment were seized in the raid at a barn in South Acre, near Swaffham, before the rave had really got started.

Police were alerted to the event just after midnight by a landowner who saw vehicles congregating and heard loud music being played from a sound system.

Fourteen people found at the scene, aged between 15 and 45 years old - most aged in their early 20s - were arrested for a variety of alleged crimes including offences relating to the organising of a rave and the alleged possession and supply of Class A and B drugs.

At about the same, Suffolk police dispersed about 20 people and took vehicle number plate details at a rave being set up in Hoxne, near Eye.

Chief Insp Davison said: “We had pre-planned resources deployed, which quickly ended the event and led to the arrests. Early intervention meant the event had not turned in to a substantive event with many people attending it.”

He said he was grateful for information supplied by the public and appealed to landowners and the general public to be vigilant and report any incursions on to property.

The zero-tolerance approach would continue but anyone wanting to set up an event properly could contact police and ask how to do it legally.

[lilmstrixta]

well the plot thickens i guess what are they going to do if they get peoples tel numbers? ring them visit them, i mean if you are at a rave and police show up and you leave when they ask what can they actually arest you for?

[General Lighting]

I doubt that cops will contact everyone who rang a partyline number, there are way too many people. Also a lot of people may ring a partyline number but decide not to go for some reason (too far away, not enough money)

but when they arrest someone they suspect of organising parties they can (and do) often seize their mobile phone and its easy enough for cops/forensic scientists to obtain all manner of data from the device. They are also seizing computers and any other high-tech devices that may hold information (following from from the Met and Thames Valley who have been doing this for some time)

I expect they will just look for numbers that are indexed for being involved in other crimes (particularly drug dealing and theft/property crimes) or belong to suspected organisers

i mean if you are at a rave and police show up and you leave when they ask what can they actually arest you for?

drugs and traffic offences but only if people are daft and are blatantly still racking up when the bobbies are on site in full uniform, or driving a illegal car / not being licensed/insured..

[Ruff Beat Provider]

I'm glad the ravers aint giving up though! It might be a good idea for the norfolk lot to give it a rest for a month or two to let things die down abit.

we had this done last august bank holiday was own fault for giving flyers out

[General Lighting]

in some ways this is just the same as what happned in thames valley, areas got rinsed, people thought they were above the law on the internet and got pwned

but I think it could get a worse here still.

In Thames Valley after the big raids/confiscations some compromises were made (storm/surge for instance going legal) and people have made do with less parties..(and I know of some local crews who at least are starting to accept that this may be the way forward)

But east Anglia's population is known for stubborness.

Further, "Norfolk" ravers aren't actually all from Norfolk. Many are from Suffolk, Essex, Beds and Herts as all these counties got locked down two years ago.

Also the type of people attending (or at least those prepared to brag about it online) has changed from the "fluffy handholding bumpkin raver" to chavs/gary boys who think that hussing a few cans at the Police is "part of the fun" as they would do this on the streets anyway (its like that in some parts of Ipswich when the cops get called to disperse youths!

Originally posted by General Lighting

Also the type of people attending (or at least those prepared to brag about it online) has changed from the "fluffy handholding bumpkin raver" to chavs/gary boys who think that hussing a few cans at the Police is "part of the fun" as they would do this on the streets anyway (its like that in some parts of Ipswich when the cops get called to disperse youths!

The whole attitude has changed mate! Its not just the chavs we have/had a small number turn up and they was great in the end and supported us endlessly (once they got with our vibe). My probblem is the snotty little brats who have no respect for anything & think there clever. The ones who if they get in any trouble there mums n dads will bail them out, this lot are more dangerous to the scene than the chavs. They will all be in jobs as lawyers n social workers in 5 years anyway.

The partry scene is a hell of alot more selfish than it was in the 90s people are more into getting bitzed and being on the take, its all ego & no one gives a fuck realy about the rigs and the work the crews put in. Its the crews necks on the line if it all goes tits up! Theres not much solidarity when it comes on top. Theres no end political objective anymore not like in the days of the Fredom Info Networks & squaters movment ect, your now more likley to have the piss took out of you if your part of one of these movments not that there are realy any in the UK now.

It just seems to be me me me party party party.

[General Lighting]

The East Anglian scene actually used to be a lot more clued up and linked towards wider social aims and that wasn't that long ago, for security reasons I won't name names but there are a fair few people who post here occasionally who were part of that scene (including a lot of travellers, eco-activists etc)

but it fell by the wayside as people clearly took parties for granted... the older people did try to give good advice to some of the newer crews but it was ignored as the feds weren't actually clamping down until 2005-06 in Suffolk and 2007-08 in Norfolk.

Originally posted by General Lighting

but it fell by the wayside as people clearly took parties for granted...

Thats what I'm thinking at the min. I'm thinking do I want to risk my liberty and a huge investment for other peoples fun when 90% dont realy give a fuck about anything but themselves?
And what is worse there have been instances of people collecting for rigs and the rigs never seeing the money up north. Imo that is lower than low.

I think its about time that the UK scene cleaned its self up abit. I know its not the 90s anymore but to progress we have to sort a few things out.

[General Lighting]

Originally posted by MrAHC

Thats what I'm thinking at the min. I'm thinking do I want to risk my liberty and a huge investment for other peoples fun when 90% dont realy give a fuck about anything but themselves?

Thats why i scaled down my own involvement in this lark from 2005 onwards...

It got to the stage where I actually found that my day job was less stressful - and in the end I decided to concentrate on my career rather than bother with being heavily involved with raves any more (and there are people I know many years my junior now doing the same thing)

if I ever do get involved with events again it will be legal ones with an underground feel (like what some others from round this way are doing) ... its a harsh thing to accept but I feel that ravers have been given nearly 20 years to self-regulate and have repeatedly fucked up.

when you move area and see people making the same mistakes that you saw 5 years ago it doesn't look good..

And what is worse there have been instances of people collecting for rigs and the rigs never seeing the money up north. Imo that is lower than low.

That has happened down south as well. In some areas the human networks to put on raves actually started crumbling before the Police started clamping down!

Originally posted by General Lighting

Thats why i scaled down my own involvement in this lark from 2005 onwards...

It got to the stage where I actually found that my day job was less stressful - and in the end I decided to concentrate on my career rather than bother with being heavily involved with raves any more (and there are people I know many years my junior now doing the same thing)

if I ever do get involved with events again it will be legal ones with an underground feel (like what some others from round this way are doing) ... its a harsh thing to accept but I feel that ravers have been given nearly 20 years to self-regulate and have repeatedly fucked up.

when you move area and see people making the same mistakes that you saw 5 years ago it doesn't look good..



That has happened down south as well. In some areas the human networks to put on raves actually started crumbling before the Police started clamping down!

I've had another go at it since a 6 year break and I think its worse now not better so think its time to call it a day in the UK. Feell abit of a twat on a few folk that have suported us over the last 12 months one or 2 off of here as well that have suported us.
May pop the rig out at a big multi rigger over the summer & still booked at a festival but our next partys will be over in Europe in 2009.

Thing is I dont go to partys anyway unless I have some input I'd sooner go to the pub or a football match. I put a punk rock gig on on friday night and got a good buzz out of that so theres other things to be doing while I sort me shit out.

Theres also other factors that have brought me to this desision but I'll not say for fear of another rant...

[General Lighting]

more updates here

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/...A39%3A17%3A930

same report / rave as before but now mentions 5 were arrested for "shining lights at the helicopter" (i.e aviation safety/terrorism laws!)...

also this addition..

Originally posted by Norfolk Constabulary

“Anyone intending to organise such an event in Norfolk should also know that we will seize their property and seek to confiscate it under the Proceeds of Crime Act. If they cost us money - we'll be looking at taking some back.”

[cathdreadhead]

Originally posted by General Lighting

more updates here

http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?brand=EDPOnline&category=News&tBrand=ed ponline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED03%20Mar%202008% 2017%3A39%3A17%3A930

same report / rave as before but now mentions 5 were arrested for "shining lights at the helicopter" (i.e aviation safety/terrorism laws!)...

also this addition..