Fife Constabulary is committed to the
prevention and detection of crime and considers all measures that
have the potential to assist in this commitment.
The provision and use of Closed Circuit
Television (CCTV) systems within domestic premises can be one
possible solution to crime reduction although it should be
considered as the last line of defence. Domestic CCTV tends to be
provided from the 'cheaper' end of the market and as such generally
provides little or no useful or useable identifiable images. This
is primarily due to the lenses being for wide-angle viewing and
providing images over a large area, persons therefore appear as
very small images within this.
The provision and use of CCTV can fit within
the overall framework of crime management and can meet public
expectations of safety and security. Consequently, Fife
Constabulary welcomes the introduction and use of correctly
specified and installed CCTV systems in appropriate
circumstances.
When consideration is being given to the
introduction of a CCTV system that will monitor the areas in or
around domestic premises, then the Force CCTV Liaison Officer would
advise you to consider how a CCTV installation would assist you or
the householder in crime reduction.
DETERMINING THE NEED FOR
CCTV
It is essential that a detailed
survey of the domestic premises is undertaken to identify the key
factors affecting the opportunity for crime or anti-social
activity. A CCTV system is not on its own a solution to Crime and
or Anti-social activity!
At this stage it is important to consider
all available measures that could have a
positive effect on the level of crime and anti-social activity and
in doing so increase the feel-safe factor for the occupants of the
premises. It may be that other less expensive crime prevention
measures could be just as effective, depending on the
circumstances.
It is also true to say that CCTV can only be
effective if it is used in conjunction with other crime prevention
measures. CCTV systems are only as good as the reaction or
response to what is seen on the screen at the time or in
post incident reviewing. Please remember if you record images that
you cannot see persons or easily identify them, do not expect that
a Police officer will be able to either. When setting up cameras,
IDENTIFICATION of persons is the crucial factor.
ESTABLISHING A SYSTEM
The development of an Operational
Requirement Statement is essential; this document is
unique to each system and will be used by a contractor or person
setting up the system, for the design, performance specification
and functionality of the system.
The Operational Requirement is a statement of
problems, not solutions, and highlights the areas to be covered by
the system and the times and description of the activities giving
cause for concern.
At this stage it is also very important to
decide what standard of image is required. This is very much
dictated by the use the system will be put to, whether it is
intended to monitor, detect, recognise or identify persons.
Identification for court purposes will be a head and shoulders
image of a person on screen.
LEGAL ISSUES
Under the Data Protection legislation (Data
Protection Act 1998) CCTV installations within domestic premises
do not require to be registered with the
Information Commissioner, formerly the Data Protection Registrar.
There is therefore no requirement to keep records of recordings or
place signage around the premises where CCTV is being used.
However, under Human Rights Act legislation, every effort must be
made to ensure that 'collateral intrusion' of adjacent premises or
Public areas are minimised. This may require the camera to be
placed and angled in such a way to ensure that adjacent premises do
not appear on the 'on screen' image.
Recording
Analogue recording or Video Cassette Recording
(VCR) equipment is now becoming very difficult to obtain, as it is
now obsolete. Where installed, tapes should be checked weekly to
ensure that they continue to provide useful images.
Where a digital system is installed, ideally
provision should be made to allow downloading to data CD or DVD
that can be used for evidential purposes at Court. The disc must
contain the relevant video data and a proprietary viewer attachment
in order for the data to be viewed.
For further information contact the Force CCTV
Liaison Officer on 0845 600 5702 or by e-mail at
community.safety@fife.pnn.police.uk
Information or advice on general security
measures can be obtained from the Community Safety Officer based at
your local Main Police Station.