CCTV and monitoring
Closed circuit television (CCTV) systems are numerous in Britain – we have the most CCTV cameras per person in the world. For CCTV images to come within the Data Protection Act, the individual must be the focus of the footage and that footage must tell you something significant about them.
Basic CCTV systems, such as those installed by a neighbour to deter thieves, are unlikely to be covered, even if the camera overlooks a public area like the street. CCTV cameras for domestic security purposes are exempt from the data protection principles. Similarly, footage for private or household purposes, such as personal videos, are not covered by the Data Protection Act.
CCTV systems used by shops for security purposes are also normally not covered by the Data Protection Act. If, however, the CCTV system is being used for checking on staff, to zoom in on particular people, or the film is recorded for a reason other than for law enforcement purposes, the CCTV footage will probably be covered by the Act.
CCTV operators should comply with certain regulations, which include making people aware of the presence of CCTV (through signs, for example), and only keeping images for as long as is necessary to meet the purpose of recording them.
Some examples where CCTV has been used
- The London terrorist bomb attacks – CCTV monitoring helped to uncover the suspects very quickly.
- Hell’s Angel Gerard Tobin was murdered and CCTV helped to uncover his killers, namely the Outlaw Motorcycle Group.
- Between October and December 2008 CCTV operators helped police arrest 35 people within the South Oxfordshire District Council. The footage uncovered 150 incidents and resulted in 35 arrests, with 26 evidence packs being produced for court cases.
- Between April 2008 – March 2009 a Surrey Local Authority revealed 1,100 incidents were detected by their CCTV cameras operating in their area. As a result the police attended on over 750 occasions and made 280 arrests. [Contrast this however with London's Metropolitan Police Service internal report in August 2009, whereby only one crime was solved for every 1,000 CCTV cameras and only eight out of 269 suspected robbers in a month were caught by the cameras. Perhaps though, this is more indicative of the limited use the CCTV cameras have from area to area, as opposed to how ineffective they can be generally.]
- CCTV played a crucial part in Suffolk Police’s investigation into the murders of 5 prostitutes in the Ipswich area, which along with other evidence led to a conviction.
- In May 2007, a mother-of-two was indecently assaulted and murdered in Colchester by a 13 and 16 year old. The judge at Chelmsford Crown Court, who was passing sentence, stated that the perpetrators were only brought to justice because of CCTV. He stated that “opponents of surveillance should take note.”
- Three CCTV operators were commended by Camden police for their help in convicting drug dealers in Camden Town. The trio collected the evidence showing drug deals taking place, which was vital in securing the convictions of the dealers. This was hailed as an excellent partnership of the CCTV operators and the police for the purposes of securing a conviction.
- South Oxfordshire District Council commented that of the 20 CCTV cameras that were installed in 2004, they provided evidence for 18 court cases which resulted in nine arrests between July and September. Local councillors hailed CCTV as a valuable tool in the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour.
- Out of 90 Scotland Yard murder inquiries, CCTV was used in 86 investigations, over a period of one year. Senior officers said it helped to solve 65 cases by capturing the murder itself on film or tracking the movements of the suspects before or after an attack.
- One of the most infamous cases is that of a man who was stabbed to death on a bus in 2005 as he attempted to defend his girlfriend. The horrific 33-second attack was all caught on CCTV.