The arrangements now being put into place – including the appointment of the forensic science regulator, Andrew Rennison, as the interim CCTV regulator – are designed specifically to progress implementation of the National CCTV Strategy published back in 2007.
The National CCTV Oversight Body is to be fully supported by an Independent Advisory Group, while the interim CCTV regulator will ultimately assume responsibility for raising public awareness, defining acceptable quality standards and establishing the means by which public complaints concerning CCTV might be dealt with more efficiently and effectively.
Six key areas for development
In essence, the new National CCTV Oversight Body – in conjunction with Rennison – will:
- develop national quality standards for the installation and use of CCTV in public spaces
- determine training requirements for users and practitioners
- engage with both the private and public sectors in determining whether there is a need (and the potential content) for any regulatory framework
- raise public awareness and understanding of how CCTV operates, and the benefits it can realise in terms of tackling crime and public protection
- review the existing recommendations of the National CCTV Strategy and advise the Board on implementation, timelines, cost and the development of an effective evidence base
- promote public awareness of the complaints process and criteria for complaints to the relevant agencies (for example the Information Commissioner, local authorities and private organisations, etc), and deal with complaints relating to technical standards
For his part, Rennison’s key remit across the next 12 months is to “review the CCTV landscape and draft recommendations to ministers on how the regulation of CCTV should be taken forward in future years”.
Rennison took up his forensic science duties in February 2008 as the first regulator to be appointed to this new office through the public appointments process.
He had been a director with the Gambling Commission, for two years helping to establish the Commission as the regulator of the British gambling industry. This involved the development of policies, procedures and relationships with Stakeholders to pave the way for licensing, regulation, investigation and the prosecution of offences under the Gambling Act.
Prior to joining the Gambling Commission, Rennison completed 30 years’ service with the police in both London and West Yorkshire. He worked at all ranks as a detective, including a period in charge of the scientific support functions in West Yorkshire and finishing as detective chief superintendent in charge of teams dealing with intelligence, organised crime, counter-terrorism, child protection and covert policing.
Maximising public engagement
In an official statement, Hanson said: “The changes I’m outlining are aimed at ensuring all those involved across the CCTV industry, whether they be from the public or private sector, can be actively involved in the deployment and implementation of national standards concerning the installation and use of CCTV. Importantly, the changes also aim to maximise public engagement by raising public awareness of the benefits of CCTV, as well as the public accountability of the owners and users of CCTV systems.”
It’s fair to say that CCTV still enjoys a high level of public confidence when it comes to tackling crime and the fear of crime. Although a little dated, Home Office research published in 2005 showed that over 80% of respondents supported the use of CCTV for dealing with criminality in their neighbourhood. More recently, a soon-to-be-published IPSOS MORI poll conducted in 2008 apparently shows similarly high confidence levels.
“It’s important we retain and enhance that high level of public confidence,” added Hanson, “and that we do so by ensuring CCTV continues to make an important contribution to preventing and detecting crime and anti-social behaviour.”
The minister stressed that the Government – through its ‘Building Britain’s Future’ campaign – will “make sure that local people have a say” on CCTV in their locality and, next year, is to publish guidance documents for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships advising on how best they might “communicate with their communities” the key elements of CCTV.
As far as Hanson is concerned, the appointment of the forensic science regulator brings to bear the expertise, knowledge and standing Rennison has gained in skilfully realising a suitable framework for the monitoring and control of forensic sciences.
Hanson opined: “That experience will be applied to CCTV, and provide an independent voice to play a leading role in identifying and helping to meet the needs of both users and members of the public. It’s essential that we take forward the setting and application of national standards with the full confidence of manufacturers, suppliers and installers, and that the public has confidence about how these standards operate in practice.”
Handling complaints from the public realm
Handling complaints and concerns from members of the public is an essential role for Rennison.
“The interim CCTV regulator will not have responsibility for the sighting of cameras, nor how they are used,” explained Hanson in the ministerial statement. “It will be his responsibility to help set the national standards, but the onus upon system owners and users will remain to ensure compliance with existing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act, as well as any future standards that are developed.”
The focus of the interim regulator will be on dealing with complaints around standards, but another active task for Rennison is to help explain to members of the public how they can complain about intrusive or ineffective CCTV placement and/or usage.
“Part of the whole process of promoting greater accountability,” continued Hanson, “is direct engagement with the key Stakeholders. On that basis, we’ll soon be establishing an Independent Advisory Group involving representatives from business, CCTV operators, community and third sector groups in order to monitor and provide direction on the implementation of the National CCTV Strategy.”
Hanson joined the Home Office in June this year. Prior to that date, he was Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice from 2007 to 2009, having served as Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office between 2005 and 2007.
Hanson was parliamentary private secretary to the chief secretary to the Treasury from 1997 to 1998, and parliamentary under secretary of state for Wales from 1999. He served as parliamentary private secretary to the Prime Minister from 2001 to 2005.
Use of CCTV in public places
In practice, the Independent Advisory Group will consult with – and offer its reasoned opinions to – the National CCTV Strategy Board.
“The interim CCTV regulator will advise the Government on matters surrounding the use of CCTV in public places,” suggested Hanson, “including the need for a regulatory framework which enables the police, local authorities and other agencies to help deliver safer neighbourhoods, and which encourages shop and business owners to set up while ensuring there are sufficient protection regimes and safeguards in place.”
Importantly, the CCTV regulator will directly advise ministers on the need for such a framework, and how such a structure might look (including the defined requirement for a permanent CCTV regulator should Rennison consider that’s what is required).
“Such issues are, I believe, a matter for Parliament,” concluded Hanson. “That’s why, at this stage, we are considering the regulatory arrangements function through an interim appointment in tandem with the revised governance structure for the implementation of the National CCTV Strategy.”
To bolster the Government’s plans, there has recently been a complete overhaul and upgrade of the Crime Reduction website for CCTV (click the dedicated link on the right hand panel of this page). It now includes frequently asked questions (and gives the answers), in addition to publishing Best Practice guidelines.
Briefings, presentations, Parliamentary questions
There have also been 64 separate briefings and presentations on CCTV given to Government agencies, both nationally and internationally, mainly focusing on the National CCTV Strategy and the excellent work carried out by the National Policing Improvement Agency to move matters forward.
On top of that, 20 Parliamentary questions on surveillance-related issues have been asked and answered, and there’s the potential that 17 of the 44 recommendations made in the 2007 paper could be implemented before the New Year dawns.
This morning, SMT Online chatted with a representative of the National CCTV Strategy Board to elicit their views on the latest developments.
“The first point to note,” said the spokesman, “is that the interim regulator’s role is to act as an independent advisor to the National CCTV Oversight Body, which will include the National CCTV Strategy Board and the Independent Advisory Group. This is important because, in times gone by, there have been concerns that some of the work carried out has been too police-focused.”
According to the spokesman, Rennison will have to “take stock” of what he sees before him and then report directly to the Home Office and the Government on what he believes is required in terms of CCTV regulation.
“It’s all about consensus building,” added the spokesman. “In preparing the National CCTV Strategy, we were faced with concerns that CCTV wasn’t featuring particularly highly with the Government. This week’s announcement makes it perfectly clear that CCTV remains important to the Government in its work to combat crime.”
What does CCTV do? Who’s using it and why?
For the Board, the other key element of all of this is the public awareness factor. “What does CCTV do? Who uses it, and for what purpose? Plenty of people in the public domain are still unclear as to the answers to these questions. We need to work our way through that communication fog so that members of the public are comfortable with what’s really happening.”
The spokesman continued: “There remain concerns about the use of CCTV. We have to debunk this myth that most cameras on the High Street are about parking, traffic and bus lane enforcement to raise revenue for local authorities. First and foremost, CCTV is about community safety.”
The tiresome – not to say erroneous – ‘4.2 million cameras in the UK’ comment that’s trotted out ad nauseum is also a bone of contention and concern for the Board. The figure was derived from a camera ‘head count’ in London’s Putney High Street some years ago, with a multiplication of streets in Britain yielding that figure.
“One of the things the interim regulator will be tasked with realising is a decent set of data about what the ‘UK CCTV Map’ really looks like. If you’re going to quote and use statistics they absolutely must be accurate.”
Make-up of the National CCTV Strategy Programme Board
The current National CCTV Strategy Programme Board is made up of representatives from the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Home Office, the National Policing Improvement Agency, the Local Government Association, the Ministry of Justice, the Information Commissioner’s Office, the BSIA, the SIA, the Department for Transport, the Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office Scientific Development Branch.
For its part, the National Policing Improvement Agency is responsible for managing the delivery of the recommendations laid out in the National CCTV Strategy.
Further information can be obtained by contacting the National CCTV Strategy Programme Office (telephone: 020 7021 7073, e-mail: ncsp@npia.pnn.police.uk) or accessing the website (a dedicated link is provided on the right hand panel of this page)