Conwy County Borough Council in North Wales has gained a Certificate of Compliance to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice. To demonstrate this, Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner, has awarded Conwy Council a Certificate of Compliance.
To ensure that best practice of the Camera Code is followed, Conwy Council appointed the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) as a third party certification body, working on behalf of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, to verify the compliance of its CCTV with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice. NSI recently reviewed their systems and recommended the Council for certification. The verification process is ongoing and the public can be reassured that Conwy Council’s monitoring is appropriately regulated. Pictured left to right are Emma Dowell, CCTV Manager, Conwy Borough Council being presented with the certificate by Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner, with Tony Weeks, NSI’s Head of Technical Services at the CCTV User Group Conference on Tuesday, May 24 at Kenilworth.
Emma Dowell said: “The council is delighted to have received this accreditation of its Public Space CCTV System. We use 114 CCTV cameras across the county covering 15 towns, and believe that inviting independent assessors to check the system will reassure the public that we are operating our cameras for the purpose intended, which is crime prevention and public safety. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank my team of operators, who are all highly trained and have assisted me in meeting the standards required.”
Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner, said: “I am delighted to award Conwy this certificate of compliance. This sets the standard for public space surveillance and demonstrates to the public that its system is run efficiently, effectively and transparently. I know NSI have worked closely with Conwy and my Office to ensure this new process runs smoothly. My thanks to all involved and congratulations once again to Conwy.”
The NSI points out that organisations responsible for public space CCTV systems, such as local authorities, can apply to be assessed against the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice to verify the deployment and use of cameras follows best practice and are used only for their intended purpose. The code aims to balance the requirement for cameras with individuals’ rights to privacy drawing upon the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Receiving a Certificate of Compliance from the Surveillance Camera Commissioner provides tangible evidence that a CCTV monitoring operation complies with the code.
Tony Weeks, NSI’s Head of Technical Services added: “Conwy Council should be applauded for choosing to open up their public space CCTV Surveillance operations to independent scrutiny, and in the best interests of the general public. We were delighted to take Conwy Council through the process and we’re pleased that other local authorities are following in their footsteps.”
