The role of CCTV is to help reduce crime in the borough. It is used to assist the police and other enforcement agencies to identify offenders and collect evidence of crimes, reduce vandalism, graffiti and other criminal damage and to support the emergency services. All cameras are operated in accordance with the Data Commission's data principles and the Council's CCTV Code of Practice.

The CCTV Control Room
Staff at the CCTV control room currently monitor over 1000 cameras, both on the streets and in housing estates, as well as having links established with Southside Shopping Centre, St George's Hospital in Tooting and most recently with the train operating company cameras on mainline stations. Used together with the retail radio schemes established in each town centre, the Council provides a safer shopping and working environment. Managed by Community Safety, the system puts retailers in radio contact with the Police and the Street Warden Service. The local police control room has full access to any of the pictures available to the council control room.

CCTV Code Of Practice
The Council, in close liaison with local police, are required by the Data Commissioner to produce a CCTV Code Of Practice for the operation of its CCTV cameras. Copies of the Code can be obtained from the contacts below or downloaded here.

 CCTV Code of Practice (739 kb)

CCTV Procedure for the release of evidence
Under the terms of data protection legislation you are entitled to access to CCTV footage of which you are the subject, providing:

• The request is made in writing
• A specified fee is paid for each individual search
• The data controller is supplied with sufficient information to satisfy him or herself as to the identity of the person making the request
• The person making the request provides sufficient and accurate information about the time, date and place to enable the data controller to locate the information that that person seeks. (It is recognised that a person making a request is unlikely to know the precise time. Under those circumstances it is suggested that within one hour would be a reasonable accuracy requirement.)

You will not be entitled to receive data that is being held:

• For the prevention or detection of crime
• For the apprehension or prosecution of offenders
• If giving you the information would be likely to prejudice any of these purposes

If you wish to access CCTV footage please fill out the form, making sure you follow the instructions carefully, and return it to the given address. You can download the form here.

Process of disclosure
The data controller will:

• Verify the accuracy of the request
• Replay the data only to the person requesting it (or a responsible person acting on behalf of the person making the request 
• Make a copy of the material if requested.

The viewing will take place in a separate room and not in the control or monitoring area. Only data that is specific to the search request shall be shown and it must not be possible to identify any other individual from the information being shown. (Any such information will be blanked out, either by means of electronic screening or manual editing on the monitor screen.)