In cases where digital images are being used for evidential purposes, it’s absolutely vital that security managers consider whether or not their systems comply with the latest British Standards and Best Practice such that the maximum value may be extracted from their systems investment, and that images rendered are of value to the police service.
Ultimately, the implementation of high standards is imperative to ensure the effective use of surveillance systems, both in the public and private sector arenas. To this end, the BSIA’s CCTV Section continues to work proactively with various public bodies in order to develop effective standards and Codes of Practice. Indeed, in response to the need for ensuring quality footage, the BSIA developed a definitive guide – the Code of Practice for Digital Recording Systems – which was then used as the basis for British Standard BS 8495.
This landmark British Standard offers recommendations for the specification, selection, installation and operation of digital CCTV recording systems generating images that may be used in a Court of Law. The basic aim is to assist security installers, end users, insurance companies, security consultants, police authorities and purchasing organisations in ensuring systems are used proactively (to deter crime) and more effectively (for successfully gathering video evidence).
Key areas covered include the ‘fitness for purpose’ of recorded images, audit trails, image integrity and time and date integrity, storage, image exporting and the replay of those exported images.
BS 8495: an independent benchmark
With CCTV playing an increasingly important role in crime prevention and detection, it’s not surprising the uptake of digital images for evidential purposes in high profile cases has increased markedly. This was amply demonstrated through the convictions gained following the Securitas Cash Depot robbery in Tonbridge, and the impressive and crucial contribution CCTV footage made to the London bombings investigation (footage was extracted from 28,000 cameras and cut down to seven hours put forward in evidence).
Any system rendering poor quality images might mean those images cannot be used in an attempted criminal conviction. That being the case, there’s a demonstrable need for users of CCTV systems to view BS 8495 as an independent benchmark in order to have confidence that any images produced will hold sufficient weight in a Court of Law.
The industry is determined to see the criminal justice system ascribe the same level of confidence to digital media as it does VHS tapes extracted from traditional VCRs. The new British Standard is a significant step towards that overriding goal.
