Dear Westminster City Council,

Please can you send me details regarding your pilot scheme of
street microphones linked to cctv cameras, including locations,
working and capability, aims and results.

Furthermore please can you send me details of any future plans
(locations, working and capability, aims) to use this technology?

Many thanks,

Yours faithfully,

Alex Tabor

Confirmation of Freedom Of Information Request

Thank you for your request for information.

Your request details have now been recorded and will be passed on to the
appropriate Divisional Records Officer for action.

This Freedom Of Information Request was based on the following
information:

Name: Alex Tabor
Address: See email address
Email: [FOI #27306 email]
Telephone:
Request Details: Please can you send me details regarding your pilot
scheme of
street microphones linked to cctv cameras, including locations,
working and capability, aims and results.

Furthermore please can you send me details of any future plans
(locations, working and capability, aims) to use this technology?

FOI Reference Number: 4864
Target Completion Date: 17/02/2010

Please do not reply to this email.
This is an automatic response to your request, and replies to this message
will not be actioned.

If you need to contact Westminster City Council regarding your request,
please contact:

mailto:[Westminster City Council request email]
Tel:020 7641 3921

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Dear Mr Tabor,

Thank you for the FOI request below:

Requested By: Alex Tabor
Email: [FOI #27306 email]

Please can you send me details regarding your pilot scheme of
street microphones linked to cctv cameras, including locations,
working and capability, aims and results.

Furthermore please can you send me details of any future plans
(locations, working and capability, aims) to use this technology?

I am responsible for the Crime & Disorder and Community Protection CCTV
system for Westminster which does not and never has had microphones or
listening capabilities of any kind. There are no plans to implement this
either.

I hope this has answered your request sufficiently

Kind regards

[1]Picture (Metafile)
Daniel Brown
Control Centre Manager
Westminster CCTV Control Centre
[2][email address]
[3]www.westminster.gov.uk
P please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to

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References

Visible links
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.westminster.gov.uk/

Dear Mr Brown,

Thankyou for your prompt response to my query.

IF you have not used any such system nor have any plans to, why has
the press printed stories about it? Are you saying that the press
has been lying about this? Please see links to such articles below:

http://www.v3.co.uk/vnunet/news/2219987/...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/londo...

The BBC link says that such a scheme, using microphones, was being
used in Soho square in 2005. Please can you clarify this and the
existence of past pilot projects?

Yours sincerely,

Alex Tabor

The 2 Soho Square cameras were not part of my Community Protection
system and part of the very early pilot of WiFi cameras so I could not
comment on them.

The microphones were only able to measure sound decibel levels and not
content.

This pilot ran for approximately 4 months.

There are no cameras with microphones in Westminster that can listen to
conversations.

Hope that helps

Regards

Daniel

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Dear Daniel

Thank you for your clarification on this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Tabor