Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
CCTV is just one of the tools and measures that Lambeth and our partners are using to tackle crime and grime in the borough. Crime reduction and community safety activities are also delivered through partnership working alongside CCTV.
Lambeth began introducing council-owned and monitored CCTV cameras in Lambeth in the late 1990s. Initially in Brixton, and monitored from a small control facility in the Town Hall, the council now has over 160 council-owned cameras across the borough. These are now monitored via a central control room, which operates round the clock, every day of the year. From here, CCTV operators and the Police carry out general surveillance and operations, which sometimes take place in conjunction with officers on the ground. As well as assisting with Police surveillance, the operators look out for illegal dumping, graffiti and acts of vandalism. They can also carry out checks on contractors employed by the council.
The council does not own all the CCTV in the borough, but it does manage the town centre schemes in Brixton, Streatham, North Lambeth, Clapham and Stockwell and Norwood. The largest number of these cameras is in Brixton. These cameras are managed and monitored separately from the other CCTV systems that have been installed by the Council; for example, on housing estates, in our Libraries, and to support the enforcement activities of our Parking services.
A number of other organisations also have CCTV in Lambeth. For example, Transport for London install CCTV to manage bus lanes, CCTV on London Underground platforms; rail companies with CCTV on their platforms; local shops and businesses. The Police also deploy re-locatable CCTV for surveillance
Closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) are one of a number of tools available in crime prevention and community safety. CCTV enables remote surveillance of areas where it is installed, whether as general monitoring or as part of a wider operation by the Council, Police or other organisations like Customs and Excise. Storage and retrieval of CCTV images also allows analysis of evidence after an event has occurred.
Public surveillance CCTV has grown across the UK to incorporate in excess of 500 systems over the last decade. In addition, organisations such as shopping centres, hospitals, ports, airports, trains and bus stations have installed CCTV, bringing the number of cameras to an estimated 2 million across the country. There are many different examples of cameras and systems, from fixed cameras which transmit monochrome images to a remote recording facility, to state of the art pan tilt zoom cameras with a 360° view capacity which are monitored by staff who can alert the relevant agencies to any areas or incidents of concern.
The aims and objectives of Council-owned CCTV in Lambeth are to:
- Prevent crime by detection and deterrence and the maintenance of public order.
- Aid the identification, apprehension, collection of evidence and prosecution of offenders.
- Assist in the maintenance of public order.
- Reduce the public’s fear of crime.
- Help provide a safer environment for people who live, work, visit and trade in the borough of Lambeth.
- Assist the Police in providing a swift response to criminal and anti-social activity.
- Provide evidence for the detection and prosecution of those engaged in criminal activity.
- Assist the emergency services.
- Assist in aspects of housing management.
- Reduce graffiti, vandalism and other criminal damage.
- Assist in improving the environment of town centres and housing estates within the borough of Lambeth.
- Assist in aspects of traffic management.
- Assist in the event of a civil emergency or disaster.
Diversity and CCTV
Ensuring equality and tackling inequality are at the heart of the way that the council and our colleagues in the Safer Lambeth Partnership work. The operation of CCTV is in accordance with Lambeth’s Equalities procedures and practices, and the Council oversees the monitoring and maintenance contracts for the CCTV service. Contractors comply with the relevant Acts as they apply to Equalities, namely the Race Relations Act 1976, Commission for Racial Equalities Code of Practice in Employment as approved by Parliament 1983, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and the Sexual Discrimination Act 1975.
Further legislation
Further legislation that applies to the operation of CCTV:
Crime and Disorder Act 1998
Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which requires local authorities including the council and the Police to mainstream community safety throughout the way they plan and deliver services, applies to Council and Police use of CCTV.
Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
Section 163 permits the use of CCTV in a local authority area.
Criminal Law Act 1967
Section 3 allows for small retailers to use CCTV as a reasonable means to prevent crime.
Data Protection Act 1998/ Freedom of Information Act 2000
Since 24/10/01 all commercial CCTV which records data in areas to which the public have mostly unrestricted access must register their system(s) with the Information Commissioner.
Under the terms of Data Protection legislation, individuals have access to personal data about themselves, for which an administrative fee (currently £10) is charged for processing the request. The person making the request is only shown information relevant to that particular search and which contains personal data of her or him self only, unless all other individuals who may be identified from the same information have consented to the disclosure.
In the event of the data controller complying with a request to supply a copy of the data to the subject, only data pertaining to the individual should be copied, (all other personal data which may facilitate the identification of any other person should be concealed or erased). Under these circumstances an additional fee shall be payable.
The data controller is entitled to refuse an individual request to view data under these provisions if insufficient or inaccurate information is provided. In addition, the data controller is entitled to refuse a request if the CCTV footage is likely to become, part of a 'live' criminal investigation.
How to request footage
To request footage from Lambeth Council’s CCTV surveillance cameras please download the Council CCTV surveillance system form and return it completed to:
Mr I Iveson
Service Team House
Lambeth Council
185-205 Shakespeare Road
Herne Hill
London SE24 0PZ.
Tel: 020 7926 0440
Human Rights Act 1998
Technology such as CCTV has the potential to interfere with privacy rights, Article 8 (as a qualified right) requires that three tests have to be applied if the interference is to be lawful.
- First, the interference must be undertaken ‘in accordance with the law’.
- Second, the aim of the interference must fall within one of the exceptions to Article 8 f it is to be lawful. These are the exceptions that allow the right of privacy to be restricted. Essentially, these aims are either to protect national security, public safety, public health and morals, the rights of others or prevent public disorder or crime.
- Third, that the restriction fulfils a pressing social need and is proportionate in how it responds to that need.
Police Act 1967 (Section 6)
For the use of CCTV for the Police to maintain an efficient and effective Police area.
The Private Security Industry Act 2001
Outlines a system for the statutory regulation of the private security industry, including CCTV operators.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
Came into force in October 2001. The Act relates to surveillance by the Police and other agencies, and refers to the use of directed covert surveillance, which would cover direct covert surveillance using CCTV. Written authorisation is required for the Police in advance at Superintendent level for planned direct covert CCTV operations. The application must indicate the reason for the request and should fall within one or more of the following categories:
- In the interests of national security.
- For the purpose of preventing or detecting crime or of preventing disorder.
- In the interests of the economic well-being of the United Kingdom.
- In the interests of public safety.
- For the purpose of protecting public health.
- For the purpose of assessing or collecting any tax, duty, levy or other imposition, contribution or charge payable to a government department.
- For any purpose (not falling within paragraphs a) to f)) which is specified for the purposes of this subsection by an order made by the Secretary of State.
Further contacts
Lambeth Parking - Bus lane enforcement
Tel: 020 7926 9000
Lambeth Parking - Parking CCTV
parkingenquiries@lambeth.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7926 9000
CCTV on buses
Please contact the bus operator direct:
CCTV on trains
Contact Network Rail on:
Network Rail
40 Melton Street
London
NW1 2EE
Tel: 020 7557 8000
Fax: 020 7557 9000
www.networkrail.co.uk
Information Commissioner
The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire, SK9 5AF
ICO Helpline
08456 30 60 60
01625 54 57 45
Switchboard: 01625 545700
www.ico.gov.uk
London Underground cameras
For a list of locations broken down by borough contact Transport for London Press Office on 0845 604 4141
Transport for London - Red routes enforcement
Email Traffic Enforcement team at esenquiries@tflcroydon.com or write to:
Transport for London
PO Box 4532
BN13 1XZ
You may also telephone 0845 603 4545