Vertical Markets

Camera Commissioner extension welcomed

by Mark Rowe

Tony Porter, who took up the watchdog role of Surveillance Camera Commissioner in March 2014, has had his time extended by the Government.

He was originally appointed for a three year term ending in March 2017. The Home Secretary and Permanent Secretary have now extended his term; with his contract now expiring on March 10, 2020.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: “The role of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner in providing oversight and compliance with the surveillance code of practice is a vital one in our modern society. Tony has done an excellent job over the last three years and I am pleased to be able to extend his contract to allow him to continue his important work through to 2020.”

And Tony Porter, pictured, said: “I’m delighted to have my commission extended for a further 3 years. With the help of my advisory council and many others I’ve been able to raise standards across surveillance camera users and protect individuals’ right to privacy through tools such as self-assessment and third party certification. There’s still much important work to do though and I’ll be launching my national surveillance camera strategy for England and Wales later in the year setting out my vision up until 2020.”

Background

As a policeman, he rose to the rank of Temporary Assistant Chief Constable at Greater Manchester Police; and on retiring from the police was Vice President Head of Physical Security Intelligence at Barclays Bank.

BSIA welcome

The BSIA’s Director of Technical Services, David Wilkinson, said: “The BSIA is pleased that Mr Porter has accepted an extension of his commission until 2020. We have enjoyed a productive relationship with the office of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner since its inception and Mr Porter has demonstrated that his vision for Surveillance Camera regulation is very much in line with our own. I look forward, on behalf of our members, to continue working with the Commissioner over the next three years and I expect that we will continue to see improvements in the standard of Surveillance Camera system usage during that time.”

And Simon Adcock, Chairman of the BSIA’s CCTV section and the lead on the industry strand of the National Surveillance Camera Strategy for England and Wales, added: “Working with Tony Porter has provided a golden opportunity to improve the way that manufacturers and service providers work with buyers to deliver effective and compliant systems. The work of the industry strand of the National Strategy has been focussed on educating buyers on what to expect from a knowledgeable, professional service provider as well as providing practical guidance to help them comply with the Code of Practice. Ultimately, we are aiming to establish and promote a set of good practice guidelines that should be met by anyone providing professional video surveillance services.”

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