The Highland Council in partnership with Northern Constabulary operate CCTV Systems in 9 locations in the Highlands including Inverness, Fort William, Nairn, Tain, Invergordon, Dingwall, Muir of Ord, Wick and Thurso.
What are the CCTV cameras used for?
The Highland Council together with Northern Constabulary believes that effective CCTV services are vital in tackling crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour. CCTV also assists in effectively managing traffic. The detailed objectives of the Highland CCTV Systems are:
- The prevention and detection of crimes and prosecutions of offenders
- To enhance community safety
- To assist the Local Authority in its enforcement and regulatory functions
- To assist in Traffic Management
- To assist in supporting civil proceedings
About the Cameras
There are currently 133 public space CCTV cameras in operation within the Highland Council area.
All cameras are colour and have pan, tilt and zoom capabilities. They are situated on buildings and columns throughout the 9 locations in Highland. The cameras are often located in areas where, due to the crime profile, they warrant additional surveillance to support the detection of crime and reduce the fear of crime.
Evidence is retained for a minumum period of 13 days and maximum of 31 days. After this period the images are destroyed.
The justification and operational requirement for CCTV cameras is continually being assessed by the Highland Council, Northern Constabulary and other Community Planning Partners.
Code of Practice
A Code of Practice for the Operation of Highland Public Space CCTV Systems (266kb pdf) has been drawn up and agreed by the interested parties to govern the management of the Highland Public Space CCTV Systems. The purpose of this document is to state the intention of the Highland Council, Northern Constabulary and all the other parties involved in the Highland Public Space CCTV Systems, to support the objectives of the Systems and to outline how it is intended to do so. The recommendations in this Code are all based on the legally enforceable data protection principles.
This Code’s purpose is to:
- Ensure that those capturing CCTV images comply with the Data Protection Act
- Ensure that the images that are captured are of best quality
- Reassure those whose images are being captured
The Information Commissioner's Office has issued a Code of Practice (PDF) for users of public area CCTV Systems and more information regarding CCTV is also available from the Information Commissioner's Office Website.
Confidentiality
The camera movements are strictly controlled and are limited by the Human Rights and Data Protection Act. The CCTV Systems in Highlands are operated with due regard to the principle that everyone has the right to respect for his or her private and family life and their home.
The Data Protection Act 1998 covers personal data relating to a living individual which is held on Northern Constabulary and the Highland Council information systems. Under the terms of the Act, you have the right to request a copy of any personal data including CCTV images you believe may be held about you. This is commonly known as the right of ‘Subject Access’.
To request a copy of personal data held on the Highland Public Space CCTV, please complete the Subject Access Form (PDF) which can also be obtained from each Police Station in Highland. A charge is made for the search and production of images, which is currently £10. Guidance on completing the form can be found here: Instruction on Subject Access Form (PDF).
Please provide as much detail as possible when filling in the form, including the date, time and location of when your image was captured, together with a description of what you were wearing and a photograph, which will enable us to locate the footage.
The completed form should be returned with payment of the £10 fee to:
Force Information Management Unit
Disclosure Section
Police Headquarters
Old Perth Road
Inverness
IV3 2SY
When you have completed and returned the application form with the relevant fee and the Chief Constable is satisfied as to your legal right to access the information, you will receive, within 40 days, a copy of any personal data the Chief Constable is obliged to release under the terms of the Act.
If you require further advice or guidance in respect of the subject access procedure, please do not hesitate to contact us at:
Force Information Management Unit
Disclosure Section
Police Headquarters
Old Perth Road
Inverness
IV3 2SY
Tel: 01463720555
General Enquiries regarding the Highland Public Space CCTV
The Highland Council and Northern Constabulary welcomes comments, suggestions and questions that you may have around CCTV. If you want to contact the CCTV team, please phone the Community Safety Officer on 01463 702246 or email your enquiry.