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How CCTV is used in the community

Closed circuit television (CCTV) is used in certain public areas to protect your community, including town centres, roads, airports, and on some forms of public transport. CCTV images can be used as evidence in court, and you can also request CCTV recordings of yourself.

Town centre CCTV

The Government recognises the valuable part that CCTV can play in tackling problems associated with community safety and concerns about crime.

Under the 'Looking Out for You' Challenge Fund competition, CCTV has been established in a number of town centres across Northern Ireland. ‘Looking Out for You’ gives members of the public the reassurance that they can go about their daily business with confidence, it gives members of the business community added security and sends a clear message to those engaged in crime or anti-social behaviour that they will be caught and will be prosecuted.

The CCTV scheme is designed to assist in prevention and detection of crime and aims to:

  • provide evidence to relevant enforcement agencies
  • maintain public order
  • prevent anti-social behaviour and nuisance
  • provide reassurance
  • promote economic well being

The cameras record images 24/7 and are monitored at strategic times in a local monitoring suite. In the event of criminal activity being observed on a camera, the CCTV operators can direct police response to the incident.

Town Centre CCTV Schemes are operated in accordance with a Code of Practice.

CCTV footage as evidence

CCTV can sometimes be used in court as evidence to prove someone was in a certain place or that they committed an offence. It can also help to improve community safety and prevent crime, by putting someone off committing a crime like robbery if they know their actions are being recorded.

Please see link below on Police Service of Northern Ireland's (PSNI) guidance on the use of CCTV:

How to request CCTV footage

You have the right to access images of yourself that may have been recorded by a CCTV camera system. This is because the Data Protection Act of 1998 means that public bodies like local councils need to make any personal data available to you if you request it. Personal data is information that relates to an individual and is held by the public body.

You will need to make a request in writing to the owner of the CCTV system. The details of the owner are usually written on a sign attached to the camera. You will need to give them enough information to identify you, for example a specific date and time, and a description of yourself and your clothing. The operator may charge you a fee of up to £10 for a copy of the footage.

If you contact a public body that holds CCTV footage of you,it must give you a copy of the images within 40 days. It may send you an edited version of the CCTV footage to protect the identities of other people shown in the footage.

The CCTV recording may be edited to make sure that you can’t see any other personal data that doesn’t relate to you, like:

  • a vehicle registration number that is not yours
  • an unfair intrusion into the privacy of another person

Contact your local council for more information about how CCTV is used in your community, or see their CCTV code of practice for more about the use of CCTV cameras and the Data Protection Act. Please see the link below for The Information Commissioner's CCTV code of practice:

More useful links