IFSEC Insider is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.
Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Neville once derided the deployment of CCTV in the UK as “an utter fiasco”.
That was back in 2008 and things have improved immeasurbly since – in significant part due to DCI Neville’s vision and persistence.
Neville, who is head of the Central Forensic Image Team at New Scotland Yard, has been instrumental in transforming surveillance into a “Third Forensic Discipline” no mean feat given that when he joined the MET Police in 1989 CCTV images were next to useless in securing convictions.
Speaking about CCTV for Safer, Smarter Cities at IFSEC International 2015 in June, DCI Neville tells IFSEC Global about the challenges, both technical and regulatory, in surveillance today.
IFSEC Global: What’s the biggest challenge police face when it comes to CCTV?
Mick Neville: Downloading images, especially as 80% or CCTV owners cannot use their own systems
IG: In the past you’ve stressed the need for CCTV to be easy to download and take to a police station – has that become any easier?
MN: No. IG: How could CCTV manufacturers make your job easier?
MN: Make it easier to download. Put some cameras face on, to make facial recognition more effective
IG: Will technology eventually make your ‘super-regonisers’ redundant? If so, when? If not, why not?
MN: I cannot see a time when a machine can identify the back of a head – you could probably spot your mother or sister from the back. Many years will pass.
IG: What’s your top tip for businesses who want to improve the way they use surveillance?
MN: Know how to download; connect the CCTV to the internet; so police can view remotely, if needed; place some CCTV face on, for facial recognition; and report crime and send images to the police via the likes of Facewatch or other such systems.
IG: What do you think about the Surveillance Commissioner’s 12 guiding principles of the surveillance camera code of practice?
MN: More emphasis needs to be put on the ‘effectiveness’ of systems, rather than just compliance with data protection. I have no issue with the Code.
Free Download: The Video Surveillance Report 2023
Discover the latest developments in the rapidly-evolving video surveillance sector by downloading the 2023 Video Surveillance Report. Over 500 responses to our survey, which come from integrators to consultants and heads of security, inform our analysis of the latest trends including AI, the state of the video surveillance market, uptake of the cloud, and the wider economic and geopolitical events impacting the sector!
Download for FREE to discover top industry insight around the latest innovations in video surveillance systems.
IFSEC Speaker Q&A: DCI Mick Neville on CCTV – the “Third Forensic Discipline”He once condemned UK surveillance as “an utter fiasco” but has helped transform the discipline into an effective crime deterrent and conviction tool – meet DCI Mick Neville of New Scotland Yard.
Adam Bannister
IFSEC Insider | Security and Fire News and Resources
Related Topics
Surveillance Camera Commissioner hits out at merger proposals and reports on certification progress
Consultation opened for revisions to the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice
‘Traingate’: When is it appropriate to disclose CCTV images to a third party?
