APPENDIX 3 LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL TOWN CENTRE AND ASSOCIATED CCTV SCHEMES CODE OF PRACTICE PART I GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE CODE OF PRACTICE INDEX ITEM REFERENCE & DESCRIPTION PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT 1.1 Code of Practice Mission Statement 2.0 TERMS AND REFERENCES 2.1 Definitions 2.2 Abbreviations 3.0 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & TECHNOLOGY 3.1 Introductory Background 3.2 CCTV System Equipment 3.3 Areas of CCTV System Coverage 3.4 CCTV System & Equipment Ownership 3.5 Contractors 4.0 Digital Recording Systems & Down Load of Footage 1.0 INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT 1.1 Code of Practice Mission Statement 1.1.1 To inspire public confidence by ensuring that all Public Area CCTV systems which are linked to the Luton Borough Council Control & Monitoring Centre are operated in a manner that will secure their consistent effectiveness and preserve the civil liberty of law abiding citizens at all times. 2.0 TERMS & REFERENCES 2.1 Definitions 2.1.1 In this Code of Practice, the following expressions shall have the meanings hereby assigned to them:- 'Control & Monitoring Centre' (CMC) means the CCTV Control & Monitoring Centre, which is under the control of Luton Borough Council. „Control and Monitoring Centre Services Contractor‟ means the organisation for the time being contracted by Luton Borough Council to provide trained and licensed staff for the day to day operation of the CCTV Centre. 'CCTV Operator' means the person who is responsible for watching, controlling and recording the pictures produced by CCTV cameras. 'Police Control Room' (PCR) means the Police Command and Control facility provided by Bedfordshire Constabulary. 'British Security Industry Association' (BSIA) means the security industry body for accreditation of security companies and for which the ability to comply with ISO 9002 Quality Standards is a mandatory requirement. 8/9 - APPENDIX 3 'CCTV Manager' means the person employed to manage and co-ordinate the CCTV Service and to oversee the security company staff contracted to provide Control & Monitoring Centre Services. „CCTV System Manager‟ means the Head of Capital and Asset Management 'Minor Street Offences' means an offence of a minor nature which has no immediate effect on the well-being and safety of the general public or their likely perception of safety and well-being.' 'Evidential Material' and 'Unused Material' shall be deemed to be as defined under PACE and the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 respectively. 2.2 Abbreviations 2.2.1 In this Code of Practice, the following abbreviations shall have the meanings hereby assigned to them: PACE shall mean for The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. ACPO shall mean for The Association of Chief Police Officers. CCTV shall mean for Closed Circuit Television. LBC shall mean the Luton Borough Council. 3.0 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & TECHNOLOGY 3.1 Introductory Background 3.1.1 Luton Borough Council operates a CCTV initiative aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in principal public and business areas of their Districts. The central feature of this initiative is their decision to implement combined CCTV Control & Monitoring Centre facilities. 3.1.2 The Control & Monitoring Centre is located in Luton where pictures received from CCTV systems covering the Town Centre, Bury Park, High Town, Farley Hill, Hockwell Ring, Marsh Farm, Lewsey Farm, Leagrave, Riddy Lane, Sundon Park and the Town Hall complex within the Borough of Luton are controlled, monitored and recorded. 3.1.3 There is a dedicated CCTV transmission link to the Divisional Police Control Room in Kempston operating within the areas of CCTV coverage where live pictures and events can be monitored. A direct two way voice communication link between the Divisional Police Control Room and the CCTV Control & Monitoring Centre has also been installed. 3.1.4 There is a dedicated CCTV transmission link to LBC‟s Traffic Signals Team for traffic monitoring and congestion control purposes only. 3.1.5 The CCTV Control & Monitoring Centre is permanently staffed (24 hours each day, 365 days each year) by an independent BSIA accredited Security Company contracted to provide comprehensively specified Control & Monitoring Centre services. 3.1.6 Day to day management, co-ordination and overseeing of the security company staff will be undertaken by a CCTV Manager. 3.2 CCTV System Equipment 3.2.1 High quality Pan, Tilt and Zoom (PTZ) cameras are generally provided within the CCTV surveillance areas covered by this Code of Practice and, depending upon their location and purpose, these will be either pole or building mounted, high sensitivity, low light colour cameras with high quality 1:18 zoom lenses. 3.2.2 The transmission of camera pictures to the Control & Monitoring Centre and the transmission of camera control signals will be via fibre optic or hard wire links, although future camera connections via other transmission media is possible. 3.2.3 Control & Monitoring Centre equipment consists of a main bank of television monitors and three station controllers desks. Each of the stations has been fitted with dedicated television monitors and a computer control system operated through touch screen visual display units (VDU's) which incorporate keyboard and joystick control devices. 3.2.4 For recording purposes, the Control & Monitoring Centre is also fitted with a modern digital recording system, which, depending upon operational circumstances is capable of recording all camera images at 12.5 frames per second at 4CIF (704 x 576) resolution for a minimum period of 28 days before being overwritten. Where additional CCTV systems are connected to the Control and Monitoring Centre additional servers will be added to the recording system to maintain this minimum level of storage. 3.2.5 All cameras, monitors, VDU's and digital video recordings operate on a full colour reproduction basis. 3.3 Areas of CCTV System Coverage 3.4 CCTV System & Equipment Ownership 3.4.1 All equipment contained within the Control & Monitoring Centre is owned by Luton Borough Council. 8/10 - APPENDIX 3 3.4.2 The physical and intellectual rights in relation to any and all material recorded within the Control & Monitoring Centre shall at all times remain the property of Luton Borough Council. 3.4.3 Transmission links from Public CCTV System locations to the Control & Monitoring Centre and between the Control & Monitoring Centre and Bedfordshire Police Headquarters in Kempston are owned by (BT) British Telecommunications plc, or the individual owners of the CCTV systems. 3.4.4 The name and address of the owner is as follows:- Fixed Assets Luton Borough Council Luton Town Hall Upper George Street Luton Bedfordshire LU1 2BQ 3.5 Contractors 3.5.1 The names and addresses of the Control & Monitoring Centre Services Contractor and the CCTV Equipment Maintenance Contractors are as follows:- Control & Monitoring Centre Operations Contractor Quadrant Video Systems Plc 3A Attenborough Lane Chilwell Nottingham NG9 5JN CCTV System Equipment Servicing Contractor Quadrant Video Systems Plc 3A Attenborough Lane Chilwell Nottingham NG9 5JN CCTV Transmission System Servicing Contractor BT Redcare Vision CCTV Wireless Transmission System Servicing Contractor Wavesight PART II THE PURPOSE STATEMENT INDEX ITEM REFERENCE & DESCRIPTION PAGE 1.0 FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 1.1 Rights of Privacy and the Human Rights Act 1998 1.2 Accountability 1.3 Consultation 1.4 Data Protection Act 1998 1.5 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 2.0 AIMS & OBJECTIVES 8/11 - APPENDIX 3 2.1 Aims and Objectives of the Code of Practice 2.2 Aims and Objectives of Public CCTV Systems 3.0 PERMITTED USES OF PUBLIC AREA CCTV SYSTEMS 3.1 General Description of Permitted Uses 3.2 Exclusions Note: this CCTV Code of Practice is supplemented by a separate Operational Procedures manual, which offers instruction on all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the system. To ensure the purpose and principals of the CCTV system are realised, the Operational Procedures manual is based and expands upon the contents of this Code of Practice. 1.0. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES 1.1 Rights of Privacy & the partnership statement in respect of the Human Rights Act 1998 1.1.1 Luton Borough Council support the individual's right of privacy and will insist that all agencies involved in the provision and use of Public CCTV Systems connected to the Control & Monitoring Centre accept this fundamental principle as being paramount. 1.1.2 Luton Borough Council recognises that public authorities and those organisations carrying out the functions of a public service nature are required to observe the obligations imposed by the Human Rights Act 1998, and consider that the use of CCTV in the Luton area of coverage is a necessary, proportionate and suitable tool to help reduce crime, reduce the fear of crime and improve public safety. 1.1.3 Section 163 of the Criminal Justice and Public order Act 1994 creates the power for local authorities to provide closed circuit television coverage of any land within their area for the purposes of crime prevention or victim welfare and it is considered a necessary initiative by Luton Borough Council towards its duty under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. 1.1.4 It is recognised that operation of the Luton Borough Council CCTV system may be considered to infringe on the privacy of individuals. Luton Borough Council recognises that it is their responsibility to ensure that the scheme should always comply with all relevant legislation, to ensure its legality and legitimacy. The scheme will only be used as a proportional response to identified problems and be used only in so far as it is necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, public safety, the economic well being of the area, for the prevention and detection of crime or disorder, for the protection of health and morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.