November 2018
Updated 2 September 2021
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/surveillance-camera-commissioner-newsletters/november-2018
Welcome from the Surveillance Camera Commissioner
Welcome to the second edition of my newsletter.
In this edition you can read about developments to the national surveillance camera strategy and the recent publication of my online toolbox – a collection of documents to help people comply with the surveillance camera code of practice and follow good practice and legal requirements.
You can also find out which organisations have recently gained my charter mark and follow links to the latest guidance on body worn video cameras.
I hope you find what’s in this edition useful. Please forward this to anyone you think may be interested and they can subscribe to receive the newsletter themselves by completing a short online form.
In focus – developments with the national surveillance camera strategy
In March 2017 the national surveillance camera strategy was launched. This strategy provides direction and leadership in the surveillance camera community to enable system operators to understand and use best and good practice and be aware of their legal obligations. The strategy was initially divided into 10 work strands, each led by sector expert who have developed plans for each strand to deliver the strategic vision.
In its second year, the strategy is now evolving to incorporate an 11th strand – human rights, data and technology – led by Professor Pete Fussey from the University of Essex and a Director at the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy (CRISP) and research director for the ESRC human rights, big data and technology (HRBDRT) project. Pete is a criminologist specializing in a number of areas including surveillance and society, digital sociology, critical security studies, critical studies of resilience, major-event security, human trafficking and urban sociology.
This strand will look at how human rights, civil liberty and privacy issues are considered alongside the development and deployment of surveillance camera technology which has potential to erode those rights and liberties. The strand is still in its infancy and deliverables are currently being devised to be implemented into the strategy in Spring 2019.
Raising standards – certification scheme
Under the provisions of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, police forces and local authorities must pay due regard to the SC Code – for other organisations adoption of the 12 principles in the code is voluntary.
The commissioner’s third party certification scheme enables organisations to visibly demonstrate they comply with the SC Code by displaying the commissioner’s certification mark.
The commissioner offers his congratulations to Eboracum Security and Support Services for recently achieving full certification against their use of body worn video cameras.
Details about the scheme are on the SCC website or you can contact the commissioner’s team for more information.
In the news – recent events, news and publications
Launch of the online toolkit: this collection brings together resources to help people comply with the surveillance camera code of practice and follow good practice and legal requirements.
Surveillance camera commissioner’s buyers’ toolkit
The buyers’ toolkit is targeted at small and medium enterprises that are thinking about using surveillance cameras, yet as non-experts want to identify the best solution before they proceed and invest their time and money in a system.
Passport to compliance
The passport to compliance is aimed at large public-space surveillance camera systems such as town centre schemes operated by local authorities. It should be completed:
- for new systems
- for upgrades of systems if it significantly alters or enhances the views obtained
- when additional cameras are added to a system
- when existing systems are extended
Self-assessment tool
The self-assessment tool will help you and your organisation identify if you’re complying with the principles in the surveillance camera code of practice. It should be completed in conjunction with the code, and can help to show you how well you comply with each of its 12 guiding principles.
Data protection impact assessments for surveillance cameras
The surveillance camera specific data protection impact assessment (DPIA) template with associated guidance notes has been developed in partnership with the ICO. This template reflects updated data protection requirements, for example, the need to register the name of your data protection officer and take their advice when you carry out your DPIA.
Safeguarding body-worn video data guidance
Understanding the types of data captured by Body Worn Video (BWV) devices and how to safeguard against loss.
This document is an updated version of CAST’s Safeguarding Body Worn Video Data published in October 2016. It provides a practical understanding on the wide range of information that Body Worn Video devices are able to capture and what safeguards can be implemented to avoid losing this data.
Guidance for in-house monitoring centres
This guidance is for in-house monitoring centres that only monitor their own surveillance camera systems, and don’t have contracts to monitor third-party surveillance camera systems.
Commissioner’s blogs
Working together on automatic facial recognition