A Lincolnshire council’s CCTV has received a one-year certificate of compliance for its CCTV monitoring from the Surveillance Camera Commissioner. South Kesteven District Council had its public space system reviewed before gaining the compliance.
Cabinet Member for Commercial and Operations, Dr Peter Moseley, said: “The cameras give residents peace of mind and help our partners in law enforcement to increase public safety and reduce crime across the wider area. We welcome the independent scrutiny of our CCTV operations and I am delighted we have received this recognition. It is a tribute to the hard work of our CCTV team who play a significant role in crime prevention.”
The Grantham and Stamford-based council said it focused on its town centre cameras. The code provides assurance to the public that cameras are effectively managed and that information gathered is used appropriately. The code of practice aims to balance the need for cameras in public places with individuals’ rights to privacy.
South Kesteven operates 70 cameras covering public open spaces in Grantham, Stamford, Bourne and The Deepings. They are monitored round-the-clock. In the 2019/20 year so far SKDC cameras have recorded 2,421 incidents that have been reported to Lincolnshire Police, leading to 548 arrests.
Surveillance Camera Commissioner Tony Porter, pictured, said: “I am delighted that South Kesteven District Council has demonstrated its commitment to transparency, standards, good practice and protecting the public by achieving my third party certification mark. Certification allows organisations to visibly demonstrate that their systems comply with the 12 principles in the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.
