RIPA Corporate Procedure

The RIPA Corporate Policy and Procedures document is based on the requirements of The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (‘RIPA') and the Home Office's Code of Practices on Covert Surveillance and Covert Human Intelligence Sources (covert surveillance would be used only rarely and in exceptional circumstances).

The authoritative position on RIPA is the Act itself and any officer who is unsure about any aspect of this document should contact, at the earliest possible opportunity, the Monitoring Officer, for advice and assistance. Appropriate training and development will be organised and training given by the Monitoring Officer to relevant authorised officers and other senior managers.

The Monitoring Officer will maintain and check the Central Record/Register of all RIPA authorisations, reviews, renewals, cancellations and rejections. It is the responsibility of the relevant authorised officer, however, to ensure the Monitoring Officer receives the original of the relevant forms within three days of authorisation, review, renewal, cancellation or rejection.

RIPA and this document are important for the effective and efficient operation of the council's actions with regard to covert surveillance and Covert Human Intelligence Sources. This document will, therefore, be kept under six monthly review by the Monitoring Officer. Authorised officers must bring any suggestions for continuous improvement of this document to the attention of the Monitoring Officer at the earliest possible opportunity.

This policy only applies to the core functions of the council, i.e the specific functions undertaken by the council as opposed to the “ordinary" functions undertaken by all public authorities (for example employment issues, and contractual arrangements).

For more information, please contact the Monitoring Officer by emailing monitoring.officer@stratford-dc.gov.uk.