◎羅彥傑

Police officers must fill in a seven page form if they want to use a pair of binoculars to watch a crime suspect.

警員必須填7頁表格，如果他們想使用一具望遠鏡來監控犯罪疑犯。

The requirement has been attacked by critics as the latest example of excessive red tape, which they say is "emasculating" the police service.

這項要求已遭到批評者抨擊是官僚作風過了頭的最新例證，他們說此舉形同「閹割」警察。

Simon Reed, vice-chairman of the Police Federation, said： "There are all kinds of forms that must be filled in to do even a simple policing task. To mount a surveillance operation you have to fill in a seven page form, even if you just want to use a pair of binoculars. All this paperwork is emasculating the police service. Even if you just used your own eyesight, you would need it because that is classed as ’directed surveillance’."

警察聯盟副主席賽門．瑞德說：「甚至連執行一個簡單的警察任務，都必須填具各種表格。為了進行一個監控行動，你必須填7頁表格，即使你只是想使用一具望遠鏡。所有這些文書作業都是打擊警察。就算你只是想用肉眼監控，你也需要文書作業，因為這被歸類成『針對性的監控』。」

The seven-page document is designed to ensure officers comply with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act （RIPA）, the same controversial legislation which allows local councils to use surveillance powers for minor misdemeanours such as dog-fouling. In addition to the RIPA form, officers must fill out even more paperwork before they can carry out surveillance.

這份7頁文件是設計用來確保警員遵守「調查權規範法」（RIPA），這項同樣有爭議的法律，允許地方議會針對諸如狗屎污染街道等微罪使用監控權。除了RIPA表格外，警員必須填寫更多的文件，才能進行監控。

新聞辭典

red tape：慣用語，指「官僚作風」或「繁文縟節」。red tape字面意義為「紅帶子」，以前英國官方文件習慣用紅色帶子綑紮，red tape的比喻由此而來。

emasculate：動詞，閹割、去勢，引喻為使之無力。例句：The application of martial law emasculated the social movements.（戒嚴令的實施令社運無力開展。）

comply with：片語，遵守、服從。例句：We couldn’t comply with your request.（你的要求我們無法照辦。）