CCTV in BTP custody suites
Dear British Transport Police,
Can you please provide me with all codes of practice, guidances, and other existing documents about:
* the use of CCTV in custody suites, including but not limited to cameras in cells, strip search rooms, detainees entrance and general areas;
* the access to the live CCTV images (who has access, from where, to the feeds of which CCTV cameras, etc.);
* the access to the retained CCTV images (who has access, from where, to the recorded images of which CCTV cameras, etc.);
* and the retention periods for the CCTV images.
If sound is recorded as well, please provide similar information about the sound recordings.
Yours faithfully,
David Mery
Our Ref. 746/11
Dear Mr Mery
Freedom of Information: Right to know request
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the
Act’) for the following information:
“ Can you please provide me with all codes of practice, guidance, and
other existing documents about:
* the use of CCTV in custody suites, including but not limited to
cameras in cells, strip search rooms, detainees entrance and
general areas;
* the access to the live CCTV images (who has access, from where, to
the feeds of which CCTV cameras, etc.);
* the access to the retained CCTV images (who has access, from where,
to the recorded images of which CCTV cameras, etc.);
* and the retention periods for the CCTV images.
If sound is recorded as well, please provide similar information
about the sound recordings.”
Your request was received on 12 September 2011and will be processed in
accordance with the Act.
Please quote the above reference number on any correspondence.
Yours sincerely
Sherine Malko
Sherine Malko (Ms)
Freedom of Information Officer, Information Standards Unit
British Transport Police, Force Headquarters, 25 Camden Road, London, NW1
9LN
office 020 7830 6751
email [email address]
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Our Ref. 746/11
Dear Mr Mery
Freedom of Information: Right to know request
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the
Act’) for the following information:
“ Can you please provide me with all codes of practice, guidances,
and other existing documents about:
* the use of CCTV in custody suites, including but not limited to
cameras in cells, strip search rooms, detainees entrance and
general areas;
* the access to the live CCTV images (who has access, from where, to
the feeds of which CCTV cameras, etc.);
* the access to the retained CCTV images (who has access, from where,
to the recorded images of which CCTV cameras, etc.);
* and the retention periods for the CCTV images.
If sound is recorded as well, please provide similar information
about the sound recordings. ”
Your request has now been considered and I can confirm that we hold the
information that you have requested. This information is attached above.
Please note that this is a draft copy of the Standard Operating Procedure
and has not been signed off by a member of the Senior Command Team.
Should you have any queries or be unhappy with the decisions made in
relation to your request you have the right to request an internal
review. Should you wish to exercise your right to an internal review,
please contact the Information Standards Manager at the address below:
Information Standards Manager
British Transport Police
25 Camden Road
London
NW1 9LN
Tel: 020 7830 6751
You should state the reason for your request, for example, why you feel
you should have received more information.
Your request will be fully investigated and will be dealt with by a staff
member who was not involved in the original decision. BTP will then write
to you to advise the outcome of your internal review.
If you are dissatisfied with the results of the review you have the right
to appeal to the Information Commissioner.
The Commissioner can be contacted at:
The Office of the Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
More information is available from the Information Commissioner's website
[1]http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Yours sincerely
Sherine Malko
Sherine Malko (Ms)
Freedom of Information Officer, Information Standards Unit
British Transport Police, Force Headquarters, 25 Camden Road, London, NW1
9LN
office 020 7830 6751
email [BTP request email]
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient,
please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this
e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this
information by a person other than the intended recipient is
unauthorized and may be illegal.
References
Visible links
1. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
Dear Ms Malko,
Many thanks for the draft copy of the 'Use of CCTV in custody SOP" which provide partial answers.
In your cover letter you point out that this is a "draft copy [which] has not been signed off". Also the document includes several contradictory sentences of the form "This is not correct according to the SDH Guidelines".
* In such cases, can you please clarify which document is authoritative, this SOP or the SDH Guidelines? In particular can shower areas (section 3.6.3) be equipped with CCTVs?
* What does SDH stand for?
* As these SDH Guidelines are essential to understand this SOP, and my request was for "all codes of practice, guidances, and other existing documents", please provide a copy of these SDH Guidelines.
Also Section 3.14.1 lead me to believe that answer to my question: about "the access to the retained CCTV images (who has access, from where, to the recorded images of which CCTV cameras, etc.);" is likely to be found in the document "SOP 4 - Storage Handling and Retention of CCTV Images SOP SOP/184/09".
* Please provide this SOP/184/09 as in view of the above it is in the scope of my request.
Lastly Section 3.10.4 states that "Cells with cameras will not be used for strip or intimate searches". As per my original question about "the use of CCTV in custody suites, including but not limited to cameras in [...] strip search rooms", the situation about use of CCTVs in rooms other than cells used for strip or intimate searches has not yet been answered.
* Please provide any further "codes of practice, guidances, and other existing documents" about the use of CCTV in rooms others than cells used for strip or intimate searches.
Yours sincerely,
David Mery
Dear Ms Malko,
I would appreciate if you can let me know when you will be able to
provide clarifications as requested in my email dated 2011-09-29?
Yours sincerely,
David Mery
Dear Mr Mery,
I refer to your request for information under the Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA). It is a requirement of the FOIA that request must be specific
enough to locate the information requested. British Transport Police
(BTP) requires further information to identify and locate the information
you refer to. I quote from your request:
Lastly Section 3.10.4 states that "Cells with cameras will not be used for
strip or intimate searches". As per my original question about "the use of
CCTV in custody suites, including but not limited to cameras in [...]
strip search rooms", the situation about use of CCTVs in rooms other than
cells used for strip or intimate searches has not yet been answered.
Are you requesting recorded information in respect CCTV related to strips
or intimate searches carried in areas other than cells or are you
requesting recorded information in respect of the general use of CCTV in
custody suites other then cells or are you requesting some other
information?
Once you have clarified the above BTP will progress your request.
Best regards,
Vanessa Osborne
Information Standards Co-ordinator, Information Standards Unit
British Transport Police, Force Headquarters, 25 Camden Road, London, NW1
9LN
office 020 7830 6731 (internal 46731)
fax 020 7023 6958
email [email address]
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Dear Ms Osborne,
Apologies for my request for clarifications to be itself confusing.
What I have been requesting in this paragraph is recorded information in respect of CCTV related to strips or intimate searches carried in areas other than cells.
Yours sincerely,
David Mery
Dear Mr Mery,
Thank you for your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
(FOIA) for the following information:
Many thanks for the draft copy of the 'Use of CCTV in custody SOP" which
provide partial answers.
In your cover letter you point out that this is a "draft copy [which] has
not been signed off". Also the document includes several contradictory
sentences of the form "This is not correct according to the SDH
Guidelines".
* In such cases, can you please clarify which document is authoritative,
this SOP or the SDH Guidelines? In particular can shower areas (section
3.6.3) be equipped with CCTVs?
* What does SDH stand for?
* As these SDH Guidelines are essential to understand this SOP, and my
request was for "all codes of practice, guidances, and other existing
documents", please provide a copy of these SDH Guidelines.
Also Section 3.14.1 lead me to believe that answer to my question: about
"the access to the retained CCTV images (who has access, from where, to
the recorded images of which CCTV cameras, etc.);" is likely to be found
in the document "SOP 4 - Storage Handling and Retention of CCTV Images SOP
SOP/184/09".
* Please provide this SOP/184/09 as in view of the above it is in the
scope of my request.
Lastly Section 3.10.4 states that "Cells with cameras will not be used for
strip or intimate searches". As per my original question about "the use of
CCTV in custody suites, including but not limited to cameras in [...]
strip search rooms", the situation about use of CCTVs in rooms other than
cells used for strip or intimate searches has not yet been answered.
* Please provide any further "codes of practice, guidances, and other
existing documents" about the use of CCTV in rooms others than cells used
for strip or intimate searches.
In such cases, can you please clarify which document is authoritative,
this SOP or the SDH Guidelines? In particular can
shower areas (section 3.6.3) be equipped with CCTVs?
The SDH is a guidance document from which BTP has written a Force Policy
in the form of the SOP already disclosed. In the BTP Policy (and SDH)
there is no CCTV coverage of shower areas.
What does SDH stand for?
SDH stands for Safer Detention & Handling.
As these SDH Guidelines are essential to understand this SOP, and my
request was for "all codes of practice, guidances, and other existing
documents", please provide a copy of these SDH Guidelines.
I can confirm that the Home Office hold further guidance on use of CCTV
and detainees. The information is exempt under Section 21 of the FOIA
because the information is accessible to you, as it is already in the
public domain.
[1]http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication...
Also Section 3.14.1 lead me to believe that answer to my question: about
"the access to the retained CCTV images (who has access, from where, to
the recorded images of which CCTV cameras, etc.);" is likely to be found
in the document "SOP 4 - Storage Handling and Retention of CCTV Images SOP
SOP/184/09". Please provide this SOP/184/09 as in view of the above it is
in the scope of my request.
Document attached.
Lastly Section 3.10.4 states that "Cells with cameras will not be used for
strip or intimate searches". As per my original question about "the use of
CCTV in custody suites, including but not limited to cameras in [...]
strip search rooms", the situation about use of CCTVs in rooms other than
cells used for strip or intimate searches has not yet been answered.
Please provide any further "codes of practice, guidances, and other
existing documents" about the use of CCTV in rooms others than cells used
for strip or intimate searches.
Both the BTP Policy and the Home Office Guidance state that CCTV is not
used in rooms used for strip or intimate searches.
Requesting an internal review
If you are dissatisfied with the how your request has been handled then
you have the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review request
should be addressed to Information Standards Manager, British Transport
Police, 25 Camden Road, London, NW1 9LN, Tel: 020 7830 6751 or email
[2][BTP request email]
You should state the reason for your request, i.e. you should state why
you believe your request warrants a review. Your original request will be
considered completely afresh by someone who was not involved in the
original decision making.
If you are still dissatisfied with the results of the review you have the
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner (ICO). The ICO can be
contacted at: The Office of the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
More information is available from the Information Commissioner's website
[3]http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Vanessa Osborne
Information Standards Co-ordinator, Information Standards Unit
British Transport Police, Force Headquarters, 25 Camden Road, London, NW1
9LN
office 020 7830 6731 (internal 46731)
fax 020 7023 6958
email [email address]
NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED
Dear Ms Osborne,
Many thanks for the clarifications and the additional document.
Yours sincerely,
David Mery
David Mery left an annotation ()
I made a related request 'BTP CCTV SOPs and use in strip search rooms' at http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/bt...
David Mery left an annotation ()
I've analysed some of this information in http://gizmonaut.net/blog/uk/2011/11/btp...
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David Mery left an annotation ()
The SDH guidelines must be the 'Guidance on the safer detention & handling of persons in police custody' available at http://www.nacro.org.uk/data/files/nacro...