It would be fair to say that public space surveillance in the UK has itself been the subject of monitoring in recent months. Local authority funding shortfalls have threatened the existence of CCTV in towns such as Berwick-Upon-Tweed, whilst the likes of Somerset Council and Herefordshire Council have publicly announced plans to continue providing support for the running costs of CCTV, in the interest of public safety, despite financial concerns.
Meanwhile, local authorities that have looked to save costs in recent years, by purchasing typically lower-priced cameras from certain manufacturers have found themselves being scrutinised, with Kent County Council announcing its plans to phase out what the BBC reported as its ‘controversial CCTV system’. Meanwhile, a Harborough councillor recently raised concerns about the council’s CCTV cameras, from the same manufacturer. Councils in Scotland have also received media attention for using 6,000 cameras from the Chinese company.
In his final Annual report to the Home Secretary, the outgoing Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Fraser Sampson, stated that: “The Commissioner’s work on confronting security and ethical issues in the use of surveillance camera technology has reaped dividends in the shape of positive action to cease deployment of equipment subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China on sensitive sites; the encouragement of police and local authorities to recognise the ethical issues around procurement and deployment of surveillance technology; and recognition of the need for a review of public space surveillance.”
It can at times seem like councils are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Cut funding and be perceived as jeopardising public safety. Invest in lower-cost hardware and risk being aligned with moral and ethical issues.
Help for local authorities regarding investments in CCTV was a further issue highlighted in The Commissioner’s report, which states: “The key finding was that a more robust policy around procurement must be in place and that collaboration between local authorities and other organisations is low, even with the police.”
The importance of working together to ensure a system is not only fit for purpose for all stakeholders today but also futureproofed for the requirements of tomorrow should not be underestimated. As a consultancy, we have provided CCTV procurement guidance to more than 25 local councils, as well as police forces in England and Wales. Those local authorities that have decided to swap out their cameras are realising that whilst price is a huge factor when making a purchasing decision, opting for the cheapest option isn’t necessarily the right one.
Despite the doom and gloom, there has also been some good news this year, such as a £200k investment in CCTV cameras in Stratford-upon-Avon. There was also a £25.000 upgrade by Salisbury City Council, the completion of a project by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, as well as a major £2.3 million investment by Barnet Council to overhaul the borough’s CCTV network. The latter is a project I am particularly proud of, having been directly involved in the design and procurement of the new video surveillance control room. The tender was won by DSSL and will use a VMS from Genetec and cameras from Bosch and Hanwha Techwin.
The issue of local authority funding and the ongoing provision of services is sadly unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Therefore, it is important to stress the importance of CCTV as part of local community support is undeniable. A great example of this comes from Hammersmith & Fulham Councils which revealed the swift actions of its Law Enforcement and CCTV teams have led to more than 500 arrests in the past year.
My strongest advice to any council that may be considering their current and future public space surveillance provision is to seek and take advice from a non-vendor specialist as early as possible. Ultimately it will save time, and money and deliver a system that works for all who rely upon it.
Author: Andrew Williams, Senior Security Consultant at Global MSC Security
