> IT'S POLICE, CAMERA, ACTION!

Police will record EVIDENCE using miniature cameras fitted to their uniforms under revolutionary plans being considered by justice chiefs. The tiny digital cameras - roughly the size of a one penny piece - would be fitted to the officer's shirt or jacket and continuously record on a 20-minute LOOP. Any incident, from a murder to a traffic offence, would be recorded and DOWNLOADED to a computer and then used in court, under the proposals.

A working group led by assistant chief constable Ian Dickinson, of Scottish police, came up with the idea as a way to increase the number of officers on the streets. The move would reduce need for officers to patrol in pairs - a requirement of Scotland's strict CORROBORATION rules - and could put the equivalent of an extra 1,200 police on the streets.

Dickinson said: "Patrolling police officers see many things RANGING FROM minor incidents TO murders. Anything that can be recorded at the time is very good evidence, much better than a recollection of the police officer nine months after the event. It also provides a good deal of protection for the police officer against MALICIOUS complaints. It's FOOLPROOF. You can demonstrate in the court that what you are seeign on the screen is actually what happened at that date and time."

Existing corroboration rules require two police officers to witness relatively STRAIGHTFORWARDS matters, such a suspected drunk driver refusing to take a breath test. Dickinson said reducing the need for a second officer by 25% could put as many as 1,200 extra officers on patrol across Scotland as a whole. "It would have a significant impact on local policing," Dickinson said.

However, he stressed that there would always be situations where officers would have to patrol in twos for their own safety, such as in city centres late at night or in violent areas. Dickinson added that he was a great supporter" of the principle of corroboration, which he said could well be responsible for fewer major MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE in Scotland.

A similar camera system exists in America but it is designed for use in vehicles. Dickinson said some technicial development work would be needed to create a fully portable camera that would be cost-efficient.

Source: Scotland on Sunday, Sunday 10 Aug 2003 (adapted)

VOCABULARY

evidence = preuve
a loop = une boucle
to download = télécharger
corroboration = obligation de disposer de 2 témoignages concordants
to range from ... to = aller de ... à ...
malicious = malveillant
foolproof = infaillible
straightforward = simple, direct
miscarriage of justice = erreur judiciaire

> TRAVAIL A FAIRE PAR LE CANDIDAT

A- Répondez en français aux questions suivantes, en utilisant uniquement les informations contenues dans le texte et en justifiant vos réponses.

9 points : A1 = 1 pt - A2 = 3 pt - A3 = 3 pt - A4 = 1 pt - A5 = 1 pt

1- De quel nouvel appareil Ian Dickinson propose-t-il de doter la police en Ecosse?

2- Décrivez cet appareil et son fonctionnement.

3- Citez 3 avantages majeurs que l'adoption de cet appareil pourrait apporter.

4- Qu'exige la loi écossaise actuelle pour que la police puisse présenter l'auteur d'un délit à la justice?

5- L'adoption de ce nouvel appareil changera-t-il les pratiques policières en centre-ville le soir ou dans les zones violentes? Pourquoi?

B - Traduisez en français les 3 dernières lignes du texte (3 points)
de "A similar camera system..." à "would be cost efficient."

C- Recopiez le texte ci-dessous en mettant les verbes entre parenthèses à la forme exigée par le contexte (2 points)

In recent years, more and more CCTV cameras (install) in public places. Now, security cameras (link) to loudspeakers and staff in a central control room. The system (design) to warn criminals that they (be watched).

(CCTV = Closed Circuit Television = télésurveillance)

D - Recopiez le texte suivant en remplissant les blancs par un élémnet de la liste A et un élément de la liste B. (2 points)

A: feel - pays - decided - care

B = for - about - on - like

"I've got a job as a security officer. I had to _____________ ____________ my uniform, but I don't really __________ _____________ the money. of course, it's hard work but I knew it would like this when I _____________ _________________ a career in the security business. In fact I __________ ___________ doing something really useful."

E- Answer the following question in about 6 lines in English (4 pts).

Are you for or against the installation of CCTV in public places?