POLICE plan to film on the streets of Waltham Forest to combat youth violence and street robbery.

Residents are being consulted over a controversial proposal to introduce overt filming, which police say will act as a deterrent and help bring criminals to justice.

But there are concerns over the rise of mass surveillance and invasion of privacy, and fears that the move could create more hostility.

However, superintendent Adrian Hutchinson, head of Waltham Forest CID, says the tactic is a vital tool in reducing a riding problem.

He said: “We want to assure the public that we are not targeting law-abiding residents and visitors to Waltham Forest.

“The community wants us to respond to their genuine concerns about serious youth violence and we want to reduce this type of crime. Overt filming is a useful tool in bringing offenders to justice.”

Hanif Qadir, of the Leytonstone-based Active Change Foundation, which works with gangs in an effort to reduce youth violence, said; “It is difficult to know what to think about this without knowing details of how it will be used.

“But I would say that, if you put a camera in front of a kid from a gang, they will react very badly to that.

“It could also force them to adapt and change to avoid being captured on camera, so they will come up with a different strategy.”

Dylan Sharpe of Big Brother Watch, which campaigns against invasions of privacy, said: “Britain already has more CCTV cameras than any other country, yet the Metropolitan Police have admitted that just one crime is solved for every 1000 cameras in London.

“Mass surveillance doesn’t stop criminals and it only has a marginal effect on solving crimes. “Rather than increasing the number of cameras, Waltham Forest should be putting more police on the streets.”

Waltham Forest Police stressed officers involved in filming would be highly visible and they will take steps to make people aware of any filming and the policing purpose behind it.

They also said the tactic should not be confused with covert, or undercover surveillance.

Overt filming was pioneered by the Metropolitan Police in the 1990s and was first used to monitor football hooligans and animal rights activists.

It has since expanded to other forces and the Association of Chief Police Officers recently commissioned the National Police Improvements Agency to establish a national standard for the technique.

Overt filming has provoked controversy since its introduction, with the human rights watchdog Liberty last year seeking a judicial review over the legality of the surveillance by the Metropolitan Police.

Anyone wanting to give their views to police should e-mail secretariat-jc@met.police.uk or write to the Media & Communications Manager, Leytonstone Police Station, 11 Kirkdale Road, E11 1HP