News on ID Cards, ID Badges and Photo ID Systems: 05/27/2007

CM Rane Leaves Photo ID behind, Returns Home to Collect

1:08 AM

Goa chief minister Pratapsingh Rane had to go back without exercising his franchise on Saturday as he forgot to carry his Electoral Photo Id Card (EPIC). The Election Commission has made EPIC compulsory for those who have been issued cards. Those who are yet to be covered with EPIC are allowed to produce alternative identity documents to vote. The chief minister, who arrived at Karapur polling booth in north Goa's Mayem constituency at 11.30 am, could not exercise his franchise as he forgot to carry his EPIC. "I will collect my card and return to vote," he said. Apparently, he had kept the card at his official residence in Panaji. His wife, Vijayadevi, who was carrying EPIC, also returned later due to heavy rush at the booth. "The rules are strict but as a common citizen I will have to follow it," Rane said. "I will be back with the EPIC and vote," the Chief Minister, who is contesting from Poriem constituency, said. While rains continued to hit rural Goa, including Poriem constituency, the CM said people would come out in large numbers to vote for Congress. "Just wait and see. Congress will continue in the saddle as people appreciate our work," he said before leaving the booth.

Full Article from Daijiworld.com.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Immigrant ID cards unfair to ethnic minority - Lib Dems

1:08 AM

The report, its Sixth Progress Report on Legislative Scrutiny, said: "The introduction of the biometric immigration document would give rise to concern about de facto racial profiling. It seems highly likely that members of minority ethnic communities in the UK would be disproportionately required to prove their immigration status."The controversial Bill proposes to include compulsory biometric immigration documents, further powers of detention, and the means of automatic deportation of foreign national prisoner.This is the Government?s third immigration Bill in as many years and their fifth since they were first elected.
Liberal Democrat MP for Rochdale, Paul Rowen, who voiced concerns on this issue during the passage of the Bill, said: "I raised concerns about the effect of introducing ID cards first for immigrants when this Bill passed through the House of Commons. There is a real danger that these measures will have a disproportionate effect on our minority ethnic communities. Members of minority ethnic communities are set to pay the price for the Government?s relentless pursuit of headlines in place of quiet competence.

Full Article from Themuslimweekly.com.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

The final issue is whether or not the technology that has been proposed is capable of delivering a national ID database. The problem here is that the government has an appalling IT track record. Large projects usually fail because nobody bothers to tell the designers what they want (or nobody knows what they want) and because too many objectives are bundled into one project.The banks manage perfectly well to track an ID (an account number) with a series of "transactions". The volume of data is surely far beyond what the national ID database will need, so it must be possible to create a database that contains enough information to identify an individual. The problem, I suspect, is that the ID card project is being hijacked by different interest groups in order to meet sector-specific requirements.If we are to create a national ID database then we should limit it to core data with appropriate safeguards and mechanisms for amending that data. If the NHS, for example, and I don't know if this is the case, has a problem interacting with the database (assuming that some thought at least has gone into its design) then let the NHS sort out its systems as an entirely separate project, and the same should apply to every government agency.

Full Article from Itweek.co.uk.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Dover board to vote on 6% tax hike Monday

1:08 AM

--- Several community members turned out at the Dover school board meeting to bid farewell and offer thanks to outgoing Superintendent Richard Nilsen.
Derek Riddle, of Salem Drive, called Nilsen a man "with more integrity than maybe one or two relatives that I know," adding, "I think it's a shame the way (his departure) is happening."Nilsen, whose contract was not automatically renewed by the board, will be replaced next school year, but the district has yet to find someone to fill the position. He has accepted a position as superintendent at Eastern Lebanon County School District and will assume that role on July 1.For his part, Nilsen declared it "an honor and a privilege" to serve at Dover.---David DePew, assistant principal of the high school, said surveys about the new plan to require all Dover High School students to wear ID badges while in school were sent home with students in grades 8-12. The same survey is also available for submission online.Parents were to return the surveys to school by May 29 to allow enough time to tally the results of the opinion poll before the June 4 board meeting, when members will vote on the ID badge proposal.

Full Article from Yorkdispatch.com.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

ID cards off to slow start

1:08 AM

How to get the whole job done without receiving one additional dime from Congress. HSPD-12 is an unfunded mandate, which means agencies will not receive budget increases for ID cards and must carve money from other programs. With such tight budgets for a multimillion-dollar program that will touch everyone who works for the federal government, officials say any sloppy decisions today could cause catastrophic problems months down the line. ?It?s about building a foundation,? said Mario Morales, director of the HSPD-12 program office at the Health and Human Services Department. ?If we don?t plan ahead, we?ll lose everything.? President Bush issued HSPD-12 in August 2004, ordering all agencies to adopt a common smart card similar to the common access card now used by military personnel and Defense Department contractors. By October 2008, the directive said, all federal employees will use smart cards that contain a photograph, a computer chip with fingerprints and a personal identification number, and access information such as a security clearance and codes to get into buildings and computer systems.

Full Article from Federaltimes.com.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Thieves dressed as medics stole from hospital

1:08 AM

The memo sent out to trust employees has called on all workers to wear ID badges at all times, to challenge all people not wearing a relevant ID badge and to not allow people to "tailgate" members of staff.The memo added: "The security team are going to be running a series of spot audits at various locations across the trust over the next few months to improve security levels."In addition to the actions above a trust-wide review of all levels of security access is going to be undertaken to ensure access levels are appropriate for all staff groups.Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust spokesman Chris Birdsall described the thieves' actions as despicable.He said staff and visitors have been told to report any people acting suspiciously.He said: "It is a large building with thousands of visitors every day, but if any member of the public spots anyone acting suspiciously, please tell security."This was a cold and calculated theft from people who are dedicated to looking after sick and injured people. The thieves clearly have no conscience. To break into a hospital and steal items from members of staff is pretty despicable."It is not the first time the hospital has been targeted by thieves. In March, thieves broke into a staffroom and stole a nurse's handbag while she was working a night shift.

Full Article from Gazetteandherald.co.uk.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Schools adopt policies to secure against the gang issue

11:15 PM

Beierschmitt said security measures in the high school, including student ID badges, security cameras and the four campus police officers who are housed at the school.?We have 26 security cameras and are adding some more this summer,? he said. ?We keep a very watchful eye.?A 16-year-old EHS student, who will be a junior this fall, said he felt ?safe? at his school because of all the measures in place.?I feel safe by what?s all going on,? he said.
He said students are required to wear their IDs throughout the school. Beierschmitt said the badges are checked often, and teachers spend time between classes monitoring students.The student said he didn?t like having to wear the badge but admitted the practicality of the security measure.?I guess having it around is a safe thing,? he said. ?All of the teachers check them pretty often.?
The student said he saw no signs of gangs or gang activity at the school, but he did say there were students who wanted to appear to be in gangs.?There?s a lot of those,? he said, noting he believes the other students are not serious about joining a gang.?I think they?re just trying to find people to hang out with,? he said. ?I think they?re just trying to get their look together.?

Full Article from EnidNews.com.

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