Surveillance Society 1

CCTV - THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

19-04-2010

Stirrer reader and Moseley resident Chris Jones blew the whistle on Birmingham's new CCTV network - which in turn led to our discovery that some of the spy cameras will be hidden from public view. Now Chris has questions for his local councillors Ernie Hendricks and Martin Mullaney who are meeting tonight with the Safer Birmingham Partnership, the quango responsible for their installation.

Martin/Ernie

I understand you are meeting with the Safer Birmingham Partnership on Monday 19th. I guess you've got a whole bunch of questions you would like answered. I've listed below some questions I consider to be very important. I would be grateful if these questions were put to the partnership.

1) Details of the funding for this project. a £3M grant has been mentioned. What does this cover? Will it cover the ongoing costs - including staff etc? If not where has the money come from?

2) What is the expected lifetime of this project - when does the partnership envisage these cameras being removed?

3) If the project has is to be extended (i.e. to cover more areas) Where? How will the partnership engage with the communities in these areas?

4) What can the cameras see? Are people looking at video images?

5) Can the cameras move - can they follow people?

6) Is any data stored? If so for how long - and how is this data secured? Who has access to this data?

7) Who can see the video images? (E.g. are they trained police officers?). Are these people vetted and/or security cleared? What other agencies will have access to the images/information?

8) How did the partnership choose the areas these cameras have been located in? They mention they have been put in place to reduce crime. HOWEVER according to one officer I spoke to, the local police were not consulted. Can the partnership explain how they could best place cameras to reduce crime without involving the local police?

9) When will the partnership be publishing a map showing the location of these cameras?

10) Have these cameras been erected to monitor a particular community in Birmingham? Safer Birmingham Parnership said the majority of the cameras will be placed in Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook.

These questions have been sent to Cllrs Mullaney and Hendricks and will also be passed to the Safer Birmingham Partnership. We'll pass on the responses as we receive them.

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