Draft proposals for Bradford Councils CCTV review

WHO WATCHES THE WATCHERS?

If public CCTV systems in the Bradford district are to be retained (or upgraded), then the need to properly address privacy concerns and the protection of public civil liberties is essential. In particular there need to be proper safeguards against the many well-documented instances of misuse of these systems.

The current "code of practice" is totally inadequate in safeguarding the public interest. Not least because there is absolutely no way that the public can know that it is being implemented.

The only truly effective answer to the question "who watches the watchers" must be "the public themselves".

The following measures go some way to meeting these concerns:

 

CCTV "Open access" proposals

  1. SITE DISCLOSURE: There should be full public disclosure of the location and coverage of all public CCTV cameras.

    2. People have a right to know when they are being subject to surveillance. The public cannot expect to "feel safer" if they don't know where the cameras are. Full disclosure is bound to prove a more effective deterrent.

  2. ELECTRONIC AUDIT: Control centres should be fitted with automatic "electronic audit" recording of each operator's control actions.

    3. This to be subject to regular independent evaluation to ensure no discriminatory "targeting", criminal abuse or other abuse by the operators or other authorities.

  3. PUBLIC VIEWING: Control centres should have a clear public viewing area open at all times. All monitors should be clearly in view with additional monitors relaying "audit" footage into the public viewing area.

    4. The public have a right to see that these systems are not being abused. This step will be more effective in curtailing abuse than any other.

  4. PUBLIC REVIEW FACILITIES: The public should have the same access to review recorded footage as any other agent for purposes of crime detection/ criminal defence/ protection of privacy & civil liberties.

    5. Access could be granted through the agency of legal counsel or other local representative (councillor, trade union official etc). Any required footage could be kept "on site" to avoid illicit transmission/publication.

  5. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF CCTV EFFECTIVENESS: To be undertaken on an ongoing basis to measure the effectiveness of the systems, thus allowing regular proper reviews of the systems performance.

See 1 in 12 Club/Bradford TUC proposals for evaluating effectiveness of CCTV

See also:

Report on South Wales CCTV abuse

KDIS report "the Usual Suspects"

Back to main report

KDIS Online