By Gemma Simpson, 24 October 2006 14:25
NEWS
A biometric scheme that scans drinkers' thumbprints before they enter a pub has helped cut alcohol-related crime in the South Somerset town of Yeovil.
South Somerset District Council said it has seen a 23.5 per cent drop in alcohol-related violent crime inside licensed premises in Yeovil since the system was introduced, compared with figures from the same period last year.
Under the pilot scheme every drinker must supply a thumbprint, name, address and date of birth before being allowed to enter any of the seven licensed premises in the town centre using the technology.
A drinker barred from one pub is then automatically barred from all pubs using the system.
A spokesman from the South Somerset District Council said the thumbprint technology is considered to be a contributing factor to this decline in alcohol-related crime.
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But despite rumours the technology is to be introduced in other UK cities, Coventry, Leeds and Sheffield city councils have all told silicon.com that fingerprint scanning is not a technology under consideration.
A spokeswoman from Sheffield City Council told silicon.com that to implement fingerprint recognition the council would need access to the police fingerprint database - and claimed this access is not currently possible.
She added: "If and when ID cards come out we might have the technology to do this but we have no plans [for fingerprint recognition in pubs] in the short term."
Comments
There are 13 comments. Join the discussion
1. Ben Lefroy
So, a 23.5% drop in alcohol-related violent crime inside licensed premises eh? Is that because most of the crime is now drug related and takes place outside of licensed premises? Or are those the 23.5% of Yeovil residents (I am surprised it is that low) who have difficulty supplying a thumbprint, name, address and date of birth? I mean it just isn't fair to expect their care workers to sew that much information into the back of their shirts.
2. Winston Smith
Why aren't people making more of a fuss about this? It's appaling how our civil liberties are being eroded these days; you can't drive, use public transport or walk anywhere without being caught on camera, the whole falwed ID cards argument is forging ahead regardless and now you can't even enjoy a pint in your local without being treated like a common criminal. Where will it end? People should reject these proposals outright and show this Government enough is enough.
3. anonymous
Well, I for one will NOT be frequenting any pub in Yeovil.
I shall now avoid the town totally.
I hope everyone else does the same.
4. Marconi
what a great idea!
when we all get id cards people can just hack into a pub and get get your infomation from there to put on a fake card.
5. anonymous
Why do they need to access the police fingerprint records? Surely they can set their own database up taking data as people enter the pub, then share that data between the pubs and barring anyone who is found to cause problems? They can then pass the details of trouble causers to the police. Sounds like an excuse by the councils to me.
6. Richard Davies
Don't those pubs have big bouncers to control violent behaviour? I can't imagine the biometrics stepping in and pulling people apart that are causing trouble!?!
Other than big brother stuff, I can't see why biometrics are needed in this case.
Maybe burgulars can hack into the system and only break into houses when they know the victim is in the pub as I am sure this system won't be too hard to crack!
7. Richard
Pub brawls = damaged fingerprints?
I hate the idea of this and of the whole government obsession with trying to track people's IDs and "biometrics."
Too late, it will be seen as an expensive, divisive, dangerous dead-end.
However, this could be an interesting experiment:
Will some people involved in pub brawls have injuries, wear & tear which makes their fingerprints unusable?
8. G. Tingey
And what happens to an outsider, who comes into Yeovil, and decides he or she wants a drink in one of those pubs?
What then? (Ed note. Well they register their fingerprint in the same way that a regular would when visiting the pub for the first time.)
And of course, ID cards are going to solve all our crime problems - except those of totalitarian control, of course......
9. anonymous
The drinkers obviously feel that they are more likely to be arrested and found guilty after any brawl and therefore decide not to get involved. The higher the chance of being caught the less temptation to offend. This scheme is as good as more bobbies on the beat after closing time,
Tom
10. Karen Challinor
has anyone bothered to check with the data protection registrar whether this database of personal information is legal or not ?
11. Graham Coles
Hardly seems worthwhile attempting to prevent identity theft when pubs are going to steal your identity anyway. How can you ever educate people in reducing identity theft when they have to give out all of the details they would normally shred just to get a drink. What next, you can't enter a shop without a passport?
I hope all of these personal and confidential details are professionally encrypted so that when the information is stolen and used to commit ID theft they don't get sued out of existance (not that I'd care, I'd personally never enter a pub that wanted to fingerprint me like a criminal and steal all of my details).
Another stupid, ill-thought out scheme supported with meaningless statistics.
I wouldn't mind betting that their sales were down by more than 23% by the number of people who probably just went elsewhere. A fair proportion of whom were probably people who just didn't like the feeling of criminalization.
12. Barry Care
I am utterly appaled! This is actually going on in this country? Fingerprints being taken to enter a pub!
Why do people put up with it? Have they no fear of the creeping control over all aspects of our lives? The destination we are heading towards is a police state with no individual rights or freedoms left.
13. John
What do the pubs think about this? Is it affecting the number of people drinking in these pubs?
If this leads to more sensible drinking habits, it's a good idea. If it leads to the thugs simply driving out to another town / village to smash up, then it's a waste of time.