§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under (1) what authority police officers on Operation Artemis ask gamekeepers to sign a pledge supporting the Operation; and what penalty applies to any gamekeeper who refuses to do so; [167194]
(2) what precedent there is for members of the public being asked to sign a pledge in support of a police operation; [167195]
(3) what statutory basis there is for police officers on Operation Artemis to demand access to private land without a search warrant; [167196]
(4) what the cost is of Operation Artemis. [167198]
§ Ms BlearsPolice officers have no legal authority to ask gamekeepers to sign a pledge supporting Operation Artemis. Police officers request that pledge but nobody is compelled to make it impracticable to visit each person to ask them to sign a pledge. Operation Artemis is innovative in that it has identified and seeks to raise awareness specifically amongst those who may have a motive for committing offences against Hen Harriers. Given the numbers of breeding birds the Police service considered it possible to visit many of those persons who may have a motive for criminal action. The purpose of such visits is to make people aware of the importance of complying with the criminal law and advising them individually that the Police would be embarking upon enforcement action against those who choose not to comply with the law and commit criminal offences. The request to sign up to Operation Artemis amounts to confirmation that such advice has been received. Police officers have no power to demand access to private land. They have powers to enter such land without search warrants if they have reasonable suspicion that certain offences may have taken place or under other authorities to carry out operations such as surveillance.
The statutory basis allowing police officers on Operation Artemis in England and Wales to enter any land without a search warrant is Section 19 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
1359WThe costs of Operation Artemis cannot be quantified as in the main they have been met from existing Police budgets utilising officers whose duties are to address wildlife crime. Costs relating to the production of literature and other media have been met from contributions made by the Home Office, Defra and the Statutory Nature Conservation Organisations. The Home Office has provided 3,500 for CCTV cameras at nesting sites.