Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

1. That Cabinet approves the Council’s refreshed Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Policy.

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval for the refreshed Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Policy. The Council’s current CCTV Policy and Guidance (Overt Surveillance) was approved by Cabinet in August 2018. A review of the Policy had been essential to ensure that it is up to date in light of the significant investment made into CCTV and the availability of new surveillance technology. Cabinet were asked to review the refreshed Policy (Appendix 1) and approve the recommendation in order to support the continued control and management of the use of CCTV across the Council.

The Council had an extensive and established approach to the deployment and use of CCTV. It had both fixed and re-deployable public space CCTV cameras installed across the Borough. Fixed system cameras were monitored from the central CCTV control room situated at the Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster, and could also be monitored from the Emergency Control Room at Riverside House.

The refreshed Policy provided clarity for the Council, its Elected Members, employees, contractors, and any other parties involved in the operation, management and administration of CCTV systems and recording devices. It also set out the hierarchy of responsibilities which existed to ensure that these systems were operated in a compliant manner.

The review process had been informed by work with internal audit and the information governance unit. Since the previous review of the CCTV Policy there had been an increase in the number of cameras in the Council’s possession from 100 in 2016 to over 400 cameras in 2023. In addition, new surveillance technology had come into use including body cameras and dashboard cameras (dashcams). The Council had invested over £918,000 in provision of CCTV since 2022. This had been both Council investment and Government funding through the Safer Streets Fund. Currently there were over 400 cameras that were re-deployable or fixed to be used to deter crime and anti-social behaviour. Where images were recorded that provided evidence of the identity of offenders, then those images might be used as evidence for prosecutions.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approves the Council’s refreshed Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Policy.