Nanny's CCTV Code of Practice

I am particularly gemused to see that Nanny has introduced a code of practice on the use of surveillance cameras, by bodies such as local authorities and police forces, in England and Wales.

The Home Orifice introduced the code after concerns over the potential for the abuse or misuse of surveillance by the state in public places.

The code says the cameras must be used "in pursuit of a legitimate aim" and when it "meets a pressing need".

"Where used appropriately, these systems are valuable tools which contribute to public safety and security and in protecting both people and property. 

The purpose of the code will be to ensure that individuals and wider communities have confidence that surveillance cameras are deployed to protect and support them, rather than spy on them."

Hmmm, all very well but as I have noted before the only really effective CCTV is one that can fire a laser or equivalent weapon at the criminal whilst he/she is engaging in the illegal activity; rather than passively record a poor quality image that might be used a year or so later in a some tawdry court case.

Anyhoo the 12 point code of conduct says the use of a surveillance camera system must:

1. always be for a specified purpose which is in pursuit of a legitimate aim and necessary to meet an identified pressing need
2. take into account its effect on individuals and their privacy
3. have as much transparency as possible, including a published contact point for access to information and complaints
4. have clear responsibility and accountability for all surveillance activities including images and information collected, held and used
5. have clear rules, policies and procedures in place and these must be communicated to all who need to comply with them
6. have no more images and information stored than that which is strictly required
7. restrict access to retained images and information with clear rules on who can gain access
8. consider any approved operational, technical and competency standards relevant to a system and its purpose and work to meet and maintain those standards
9. be subject to appropriate security measures to safeguard against unauthorised access and use
10. have effective review and audit mechanisms to ensure legal requirements, policies and standards are complied with
11. be used in the most effective way to support public safety and law enforcement with the aim of processing images and information of evidential value, when used in pursuit of a legitimate aim
12. be accurate and kept up to date when any information is used to support a surveillance camera system which compares against a reference database for matching purposes

There are of course many more CCTV systems than those just used by the police and local authorities (ie there are systems not covered by the code), additionally in the event that the code is breached there appears to be no penalty system in place to reprimand those bodies that breach the code.

In other words, so what?

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