Questions & Answers on CCTV with Bradford Council....


1) What is the location of all council/police cameras in Bradford and the dates of their installation?

The location of cameras is not specifically made available for public use/information. In essence most of the Bradford City, Bingley and Keighley town centres are covered.

The first Bradford camera's were installed in May 1990 and these have been added to over the years to include Kirkgate and Westgate multi-storey car parks. The Bingley and Keighley cameras were installed in February 1996 with an additional camera in Keighley in January 1997

Whose decision is it that the location of the cameras is not made available to the public? Does this not conflict with your closing comments: "...there is no secrecy about the existence of the cameras"? If the location of the cameras is secret, how can their presence be said to "make people feel safer"?

Exactly how many cameras are currently deployed?

It is a Council decision not to state exactly where CCTV are located. I would like all car parks, for example, to be covered by CCTV. This is not the case and although cameras are visible on poles or buildings it is not policy to advertise which areas do not have cameras. In those areas where cameras are in operation, CCTV signs are erected.

In Bradford - 31 cameras, Keighley - 12 and Bingley - 6.


2) What is the total cost to date (capital and revenue) of the installation and operation of these cameras? What are the projected costs of the continued operation? What are the sources of funding?

The majority of the cost of installation of cameras came from the Safer Cities Project (Home Office based) and Home Office grants. The Council has made some cash available in the main from the car parks revenue account. In the case of Bingley and Keighley the local businesses also contributed. In total it is estimated the initial capital to be:-

Bradford £600,000

Bingley and Keighley £220,000

The revenue cost of running the Bradford and Keighley/Bingley schemes is £132,000 per year. This included for all wages, new equipment, equipment repairs, rents, rates, wayleave charges and support costs.

This was originally met from the car parks revenue budget.

You say "This was originally met from the car parks revenue budget". Where does the money come from now?

Any new cameras are funded from the CCTV Revenue Account. This account was set up from surplus cash in the car parks income. There is no specific budget for new schemes. 45% of the funding for the Shipley scheme has come from the Home Office.


3) What specific plans (including costs) are being considered for expansion?

A bid is with the Home Office regarding installations of CCTV at Shipley and this decision is expected in March. There are areas in Bradford where a problem had been identified and further cameras may be introduced if money becomes available. The Shipley scheme is £130,000.

It has been stated publicly that the Council intend to deploy a further 20 cameras in Bradford, to which you make no reference. Please address this directly, with details of costs and sources of funding?

The Council is anxious to extend the present CCTV coverage but no specific numbers have been suggested, nor have any costings been addressed as the source of the funding has not been identified.

[Comment: In its Community Plan (1997-2000) the Council includes in its "targets to year 2000" - "20 additional CCTV cameras to be installed". We understand this is to be funded by the Local Police Authority. Indeed, in March the Authority revealed it was seeking bids for £1.5m for schemes that will lead to a drop in crime, so this is the likely source of finance. Furthermore, the council are planning a new high-tech CCTV control centre and intend to bring aboard the 13 police traffic cameras (see article on April 24)]


4) How has monitoring and evaluation of the systems to date been carried out (including Keighley and Bingley)? What were the objectives and targets set? What are the results?

The operation is controlled by Council employees but the police do evaluate the schemes in all areas for effectiveness. The objectives of any CCTV scheme is:-

The results indicate a drop in vandalism and car related crimes in all the areas where CCTV is installed.

The Home Office accepts that CCTV is the most effective and proven method of keeping city centres and other areas safe and virtually every authority had gone down this road. Bradford was the first Council in the country to introduce CCTV in 1990.

You list 4 objectives which apply to "any CCTV scheme" although these do not seem to correspond to the stated objectives of particular schemes, such as Keighley or Shipley. Why not?

You give no "targets" against these objectives. Why not? How can any meaningful evaluation take place in their absence? How exactly is the "success" or "failure" of these schemes determined?

You say that the police evaluate these schemes. We should point out that the police inform us that they do not evaluate the schemes in Keighley or Bingley. Can you explain this contradiction? Where do the quoted "results" come from?

These points are crucial and go to the heart of any determination as to the effectiveness of these schemes. Please provide details of documents used to support your answers.

The four objectives are general ones which apply to any CCTV scheme as required by the Government. Each city or town has its own particular features - for example in Bradford we have subways, but not in other towns.

I enclose a press cutting from the T&A dated 17 March 1997 relating in particular to Bingley which covers the issue raised.

[Comment: The council hasn't undertaken any evaluations, neither have the police. The police also refuse to release raw crime statistics to allow an independent evaluation. The only actual figures in existence are those very selective figures prepared by Inspector Hancox in Bingley (see Article, figures & follow up). None the less, councillors like Chris Leslie continue to use these selective figures to claim, quite untruthfully, that CCTV cameras have halved crime in Bingley. They continue to make other, even more incredible claims without foundation, like "In some of the Council's City Centre car parks where CCTV has been installed car crime is down by 90%" - (Cllr Latif Darr in a Council leaflet promoting CCTV). Bradford Council continue to refuse the 1 in 12's demand for a proper evaluation.]


5) What "cost/benefit" analyses has been undertaken for the systems and the results in crime reduction/arrests? What are the results?

These have been carried out by the police and are available, but not for general public consumption.

Why are these not available to the public. Whose decision? How can such a cost/benefit analysis be undertaken in the absence of any proper evaluation/targets? Please give the results.

Whilst the Local Authority monitor and staff the cameras it is carried out in liaison with the Police. All crime statistics are related to the Police and not the Council. Any information you require needs to be addressed to the Police.


6) Are detailed crime statistics for Bradford over the last 10 years available? If so, can we have them?

Only the police will be available to provide these. The divisional commanders of each division would supply this information.

Do you have these statistics?

Contact will need to be made to the Police.


7) What other schemes (in other cities) have been visited by councillors/officers? What independent studies of other city centre systems been considered?

Over the years numerous other schemes have been looked at and evaluated. These have included Coventry, Leeds, Doncaster, Kings Lynn, Stockton on Tees. Independent reports have been commissioned and carries out by numerous bodies.

Please indicate which specific Independent reports you are referring to.

The independent reports relate to studies over a number of years from different sources - local authorities, police and privately run schemes.


8) What is the councils position with regard to the privacy of the individual and the liberty of any person to movement without being subject to unwarranted surveillance?

The Council's position on this is clear. The entire scheme is operated by Council employees and not the police. The privacy of individuals is of paramount importance and filming only takes place if there is or likely to be an incident which involves an individual. This could be, for example, where an individual is in danger of being attacked. The scheme is to protect property and persons but will not infringe the rights of anyone going about their business. All tapes are kept for 14 days and then scrubbed. A code of practice exists in relation to the video tapes.

...the CCTV control rooms have been made available for interested groups to visit on numerous occasions. Open days have also been arranged in the past.

The scheme is there for the general benefit of the public and there is no secrecy about the existence of the cameras. Signs are erected on car parks, subways and pedestrian areas informing the public that cameras do exist.

What do you mean by "...filming only takes place if there is likely to be an incident..."? Do you mean "recording"? Please explain exactly how this works.

We understand images are transferred to a police monitor on demand. How can you enforce the rules of recording/scrubbing of tapes under these conditions?

The cameras operate on a 24 hour basis. The system in Bingley/Keighley is more recent and has more advanced technological facilities. The cameras are placed on "walks" which cover the main areas when staff are not available. Images are not transferred to the Police. The latter are contacted by phone of any incident or potential problem.


9) Can you list all the references in Council committee meetings when the matter of the CCTV systems in Keighley, Bingley and Shipley have been discussed?

The installation of CCTV systems in Keighley, Shipley and Bingley were as results of bids to the Home Office and to the best of my knowledge no reports were ever presented to any Council Sub Committee with the result that no minutes are available.


Initial Questions posed by 1 in 12 Club (5 Feb. 1997). Answers prepared by Trevor Green, Principle Public Services Officer, Bradford Council (19 Feb. 1997). Supplementary question sent on 14 March and answered on April 10th. Comments added after. Question 9 sent 12/6/97 and answered by Colin Clayton, Car parks/CCTV manager on 19/6/97.


Back to Top of Page

Back to Main Feature

Return to Home Page