Cctv In Public Places

CCTV and the Public

CCTV and the Public

As I work with CCTV every day and get asked many questions both on the equipment as well as having a CCTV System installed, I thought I would make an article about the rules CCTV Operators and CCTV System owners must follow!CCTV In Your Community

As we all are aware CCTV Cameras are installed in many public places these days. The cameras are there to protect and deter criminal activity. CCTV Cameras can be found in public places such as shopping centres, some public transport, town centres, airports, bus and train stations etc.Another common place where you can spot CCTV Cameras are of course by traffic lights and by the road, motorways especially.CCTV Footage can be used in court as evidence, it can be to prove that somebody was in a certain place at a certain time or it can be that they were caught red-handed by the CCTV Cameras.You could also say that having CCTV Cameras installed also improves the safety in the area, a criminal will think twice before committing a crime in an area where they know they can be caught on camera.You and CCTV

Did you know that you can request for CCTV Footage of yourself?Many people are unaware of this, although I am not sure what exactly I personally would want the footage for. But it is your right to be able to request for CCTV Footage, so you should know about it!You can request of any company or organisation to view and have a copy of the footage you are in. However they may blur out any other person or property including car registration numbers (that does not belong to you) as this is not within your rights to have footage of.The organisation or company have up to 40 days to supply you with this footage. However you must be very specific so they can easily identify you and the footage you are requesting. So you would be expected to provide things like date, time and what you look like and what you were wearing on that specific date.The request has to be made in writing to the company or organisation that owns the CCTV System in question. You may also be charged a fee up to 10 (this is the set maximum amount you can be charged, the amount has been set by the Parliament.)Data Protection Act and CCTV

As you may know most uses of CCTV will be covered by the Data Protection Act. This means that you have the right to request for footage of yourself, if you know you have been caught on camera, this could also include information about you such as your car registration plate.Basically the Data Protection Act sets out the rules which CCTV Operators must adhere to when viewing, gathering and storing as well as if they release CCTV footage that contains images of individuals.Some of these rules includes:

The CCTV Operators must ensure that anybody who could be recorded is aware of the fact that there are CCTV Cameras that are recording in the vicinity. Most companies/organisations do this by using CCTV Signs. The signs must be in a place where it is easily spotted and visible for all, they need to be clear of the purpose of that there are CCTV Systems recording as well as if it is not obvious the company or organisations name should be displayed to let the public know who is recording them.CCTV Cameras should only very rarely be used in areas such as toilets and changing rooms - There must be a great cause for concern for cameras to be installed in such areas, and it must be made very clear that there are CCTV Cameras in these areas.Recordings of conversations between members of the general public should not be recorded, there are expections to this rule, when a panic button is pressed in a taxi or in the charging area of a Police custody suite.There are exceptions to the rule, some CCTV footage would not be covered by the Data Protection Act, this includes:

Use of CCTV Cameras for limited household purposes, for example to protect your home against burglary. This could also be the case even if the camera is overlooking the street.Footage taken on mobile phones, digital cameras etc for recreational purposes are also excluded from the Data Protection Act.There are seperate rules and regulations for, for example law enforcement and covert surveillance.

by: Molly French

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