The Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter, pictured, has published his first annual report. To view the 30-page document click here.
While as a watchdog the commissioner does not have powers to fine or arrest anyone, and his remit under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 is with public bodies such as the police and local government, like the previous commissioner Andrew Rennison, Tony Porter is looking beyond to users of CCTV in general. He says that his single biggest challenge for now will be voluntary adoption. He says that he will be speaking to universities, residential social landlords, retail centres and others about voluntarily adopting the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice (PoFA Code), as good practice.
In a foreword to the document he said: “The use of CCTV in domestic environments continues to cause concern amongst the public and is a high generator of complaints across various agencies. With a view to showing leadership in the sector I have said publicly that I intend to explore ways of working with manufacturers, retailers, installers, consumers and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to impart the principles of the PoFA Code.”
He reports that he has found good and bad practice. “We have been made aware of instances where some traffic enforcement officers, often utilising the same cameras as those used to deliver crime and disorder reduction strategies, do not deliver the same level of compliance to the PoFA Code. Accordingly where dual use CCTV Operation Rooms are in use I intend to raise the obligations within the PoFA Code to encourage compliance.”
As he has set out at Security TWENTY 14 conferences run by Professional Security magazine, at Manchester in July and Heathrow in late October, he intends to raise the profile of the PoFA Code. He summed up: “My aim is to secure voluntary adoption and achieve surveillance by consent across the broadest range of organisations. Application of the PoFA Code not only delivers benefits to society in terms of privacy, security of public safety, transparency and reassurance but benefits to business through better performance and cost reduction.”
In the report proper, he points out that the cost of domestic CCTV systems is minimal as electrical retailers now sell HD domestic CCTV systems for a little over £100. “This upsurge in domestic use is directly responsible for an increase in complaints around their use.”
On body worn video, he notes that local authorities, residential social landlords and others such as door supervisors are using it. “I intend to assess the broader use and impact on society of these phenomena. It may be appropriate to issue guidance or even consider recommending broadening the regulatory base to include some of these organisations.” He raises also ‘growing public concerns relating to UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles – also known as drones) and the widening use of automatic facial recognition’.
For early 2015, he plans to bring out an Operational Requirement (OR) which he describes as ‘the starting point for any prospective user wishing to establish a CCTV system’.
Tony Porter paid respects to Gordon McLanaghan, the Bristol City Council CCTV manager who died earlier this year.
