This wide-ranging report covers such issues as data collection by the Government, identity cards and, of course, CCTV, in the process rejecting characterisations of the UK as a ‘Surveillance Society’ and instead highlighting the importance of public trust in information held by the Government.
With regard to CCTV, the enquiry investigated the role of surveillance in the work of the Home Office and the ongoing fight against crime. Conclusions in this area acknowledged the popularity of CCTV schemes and the potential effects on crime levels of encouraging people to use public spaces.
The report recommends that the Home Office should ensure any extension of the use of camera surveillance is justified by evidence of its effectiveness for its intended purpose, and that thorough research into this effectiveness should be undertaken.
Commenting on the report, Pauline Norstrom – the BSIA’s CCTV Section chairman – said: “We welcome the findings of this report, which confirms the fact that the UK should not be regarded as a ‘Surveillance Society’. The report duly acknowledges the support of both the police service and the public for CCTV, and the role that it plays in terms of investigating offences and reducing the fear of crime.
Norstrom added: “We believe that examples such as CCTV’s contribution to the recent convictions following the Securitas Cash Depot robbery in Tonbridge and its role in investigating the 7/7 London bombings show the effectiveness of today’s technology.”
Managing public expectations of CCTV
The report also welcomes the drive to create standards for CCTV use in order to enhance the value of images captured in the fight against crime, and recommends that the police service and the Home Office work to increase public awareness while also managing public expectations in relation to CCTV surveillance.
Further, the report provides additional recommendations that, in the design of schemes, camera operators must consider storage periods for images and thus support a principle of data minimisation.
Finally, it emphasises the importance of evaluating technological developments in terms of their effects on individual liberty, while at the same time expressing the Committee’s disapprobation towards the concept of linking CCTV cameras.
Pauline Norstrom continued: “The CCTV industry is fully prepared not only to develop new technologies, but also to consider the effects that such technologies may have on the privacy of the public, and to review current legislation and guidelines accordingly. We will work with the Government and other agencies in our role on the National CCTV Strategy Programme Board with respect to any further safeguards that need to be developed.”
