Sir Graham Bright, Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), last night snubbed a CUSU open meeting designed to discuss concerns about the recent police spying scandal. 

Instead, Inspector Steve Poppit defended the use of covert tactics and surveillance, arguing that “the price of the safety we enjoy is to lose some of our personal freedom”.

The meeting comes after the Guardian revealed that Cambridgeshire police had paid informants to spy on university societies.  One officer was secretly filmed offering a former university member money to provide information about activist groups and “student union type stuff”.  

Inspector Poppit admitted that the spying revelations had had a “negative impact in some areas”, and that “the relationship [with students] can be improved”. However he added: “I don’t have any answers. There are no specific plans.”  Discussing potential action, he said that “if no-one is going to listen to what we say, then it will not be worth the effort”.  

However, Police University Liaison Officer Simon Railer thought that the spying scandal had not affected his work. The constable explained: “My job has continued like normal. As far as I’m concerned, it’s business as usual.” He conceded he was unaware of how strongly students felt about police surveillance, but said that he made regular visits to colleges, university sites and CUSU.

Attendees were audibly frustrated that police representatives refused to comment on specific tactics. “Operational protocol” prevented a frank discussion of the questions at hand.  When asked if the evening had been a success, Inspector Poppit said: “I have answered as fully as I can. I cannot help that I did not give you the answers you were looking for.” 

At the Home Affairs Select Committee last November, PCC Sir Graham argued that “it was obvious why covert surveillance was being used [in Cambridge]”. He went on to imply that Lee Rigby’s murder might have been emulated at the university had covert tactics not been used: “One dreads to think that something could happen in Cambridge like it did in Woolwich.”  Inspector Poppit appeared to criticise the comparison made by Sir Graham: “Would I have made that comment? No, I would not.” 

CUSU President Felicity Osborne expressed her frustration that the PCC did not attend: “CUSU is disappointed that the Police and Crime Commissioner, Sir Graham Bright, could not attend to give fuller answers to students’ cares and concerns, but will continue to work constructively with the police wherever possible to ensure more transparent engagement between students and the Cambridge Constabulary.” 

A statement from Cambridgeshire Police reads: “[A]ny policing operation must always strike a balance between the core functions of protecting individual freedoms, maintaining public safety and preventing and detecting crime. Here in Cambridge we have a great deal of open public debate and trying to achieve the correct mix of all three while enabling vibrant and healthy discussion on contentious issues will always be a challenge.”