Peter Bleksley
Peter Bleksley was a founder member of Scotland Yard's undercover unit in the 1980s. He is a director and co-owner of a business intelligence company.[1]
In defence of the private security industry
Speaking as a former undercover police officer, when questioned about the Kennedy affair in an an interview for BBC2, Bleksley confirmed there are currently more police officers embedded in the movement and that "there are also people from the private security sector working against climate campaigners".[2] A SpinWatch article commenting on Bleksley's words reflected that "the language itself is telling. Not ‘protestors’, but ‘campaigners’. Targeted not for taking illegal direct action, but simply for holding a view. And not simply monitoring: the ‘against’ testifies to an agenda in policing".[3]
In a subsequent comment piece in The Guardian, he defended the practice of hiring private security companies.[4]
Transferable skills and alliances: police and private security industry
Questions have been raised regarding the ethics of "former police officers cashing in on their surveillance skills for a host of companies that target protesters".[5] See the Powerbase overview of the revolving door between the private security industry and the police.
Notes
- ↑ Contributor's profile Peter Bleksley, The Guardian, accessed 22/02/11
- ↑ Kirsty Wark, NewsNight "BBC2" 10/01/11, accessed 11/01/11
- ↑ Tilly Gifford Unmasking the environmental infiltrators, SpinWatch, 19/01/11, accessed 22/02/11
- ↑ Peter Bleksley Corporate hired spies are here to stayThe Guardian, 16/02/11, accessed 11/03/11
- ↑ Paul Lewis and Rob Evans Green groups targeted polluters as corporate agents hid in their ranks The Guardian, 14/02/11, accessed 14/02/11
