Gatso Calibration and Training

The request was partially successful.

Dear Essex Police,
I would like to request a FOI disclosure which is basically to understand the annual money payments to Serco and Gatso for the calibration and maintenance of cameras, staff training, and how the speed is calculated as part of the secondary check.
Q1. How many fixed post Gatso (FPG) and Gatso Red Light(GRL) cameras were in use, on an annual basis, by your partnership in the past three financial years?
Q2.For these cameras, for the past three financial years, what were the total cost amounts paid(TCAP) for the annual calibration of these cameras, identifying the TCAP to intermediate agents such as Serco and the company Gatsometer B.V, and the additional amounts of V.A.T added ?
Q3.Please confirm if the partnership have ownership of these cameras, paid in full, or any other arrangement.
Q4.Please confirm if the calibration contracts (CC) have been agreed for a fixed term with break penalty clauses or negotiated annually, if the CC are inclusive of a greater contract regarding maintenance, and who signed the contracts on behalf of the partnership.
Q5.After the cameras have been returned following calibration please confirm if, apart from the calibration certificate, Gatsometer B.V provide a report on any faults detected and items replaced and, if so, please identify the items, including batteries, that have required replacement.
Q6 After calibration, please confirm if the cameras are returned with a shutter speed of two photographs at intervals of 0.5 seconds, and if your Camera Enforcement Officers make any adjustments to the shutter speed or flash setting prior to reinstallation and, if so, what are the setting adjustments?.
Q7.Regarding the secondary check viewing, please advise how the viewing staff are trained for their task, who does the training, are certificates of completion provided, and are the staff given post training assessments or hard copy reference documentation. Is the work of the viewing staff audited or reviewed at intervals?
Q8.For FPG please confirm the distance between the calibration lines on the road which are part of the secondary check, so that one can calculate the speed if five lines are passed.

Yours faithfully,

dennis fallon

data foi, Essex Police

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference.

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20
working days but given the current very high number of requests being
received this may not be possible.

We will reply as soon as possible and please accept our apologies for the
inconvenience any delay may cause.

Steve Grayton
Information Officer
Data Protection & Freedom of Information
Information Management
Strategic Change Management Department
Essex Police Headquarters
PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA
' :Within Essex dial 101 then ext. 54551
Outside Essex: 0300 333 4444 Ext 54551
Fax: 01245 452256
Email : data[Essex Police request email]
Personal email: [email address]
Website: www.essex.police.uk
Hours of work : Mon - Thurs 7:30 to 15:30
Fri 7:30 to 15:00

Please note: 101 is replacing 0300 333 4444 as the way to contact Essex
Police - but always dial 999 if it is an emergency

show quoted sections

Dear data foi,

The purpose behind Q2 of my recent FOI is to calculate the unit cost of calibrating one Gatso Speed and one Gatso Red light camera.
If it is troublesome for you to add up the individual payments to Serco for calibration it will be acceptable to simply know the agreed calibration payment for each camera type over the three year period to assess the trend.

Yours sincerely,

dennis fallon

Steve Grayton, Essex Police

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference. Having completed my enquiries I am able to respond as follows:

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties
on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at
Sec1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a
request is held. The second duty at Sec1(1)(b) is to disclose information
that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon
s17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which: a)
states that fact b) specifies the exemption(s) in question and c) states
(if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

In respect of this enquiry:

Essex Police holds some of the information requested as below. Essex
County Council, as "lead" in the camera partnership will hold information
relating to Q's 2,3 & 4 and they can be contacted via this link:
[1]http://www.drivingcasualtiesdown.org/ or
[2]http://www.essex.gov.uk/Pages/Default.aspx

I would like to request a FOI disclosure which is basically to understand
the annual money payments to Serco and Gatso for the calibration and
maintenance of cameras, staff training, and how the speed is calculated as
part of the secondary check.

1. How many fixed post Gatso (FPG) and Gatso Red Light(GRL) cameras were
in use, on an annual basis, by your partnership in the past three
financial years?

March 2008-Apr 2009: 50

March 2009-Apr 2010: 50

March 2010-Apr 2011: 59

Camera locations (fixed and red light) can be found at:
[3]http://www.drivingcasualtiesdown.org/pag...

2. For these cameras, for the past three financial years, what were the
total cost amounts paid(TCAP) for the annual calibration of these cameras,
identifying the TCAP to intermediate agents such as Serco and the company
Gatsometer B.V, and the additional amounts of V.A.T added ? 

3. Please confirm if the partnership have ownership of these cameras, paid
in full, or any other arrangement.  

4. Please confirm if the calibration contracts (CC) have been agreed for a
fixed term with break penalty clauses or negotiated annually, if the CC
are inclusive of a greater contract regarding maintenance, and who signed
the contracts on behalf of the partnership.   

In respect of Q's 2-4 please see above. Essex Police does not hold this
information.

5. After the cameras have been returned following calibration please
confirm if, apart from the calibration certificate, Gatsometer B.V provide
a report on any faults detected and items replaced and, if so, please
identify the items, including batteries, that have required replacement.
Any faults that are found during Calibration would not be returned until
we have been advised of the faults. If we agreed to the faults then the
Calibration would be carried out and a Calibration Certificate issued.

GATSO would issue a Certificate of Compliance after Repair only when a
camera,control unit or radar shows a fault occurring after the issue of a
Calibration Certificate within that year.  The invoice provided by GATSO
to SERCO outlines the replacement parts in simplistic terms. GATSO would
be able to give a more comprehensive report if requested.

6. After calibration, please confirm if the cameras are returned with a
shutter speed of two photographs at intervals of 0.5 seconds, and if your
Camera Enforcement Officers make any adjustments to the shutter speed or
flash setting prior to reinstallation and, if so, what are the setting
adjustments?.

When cameras are returned all settings are checked. This includes the
interval setting. Essex set their interval at 0.5secs between the two
photographs taken.

7. Regarding the secondary check viewing, please advise how the viewing
staff are trained for their task, who does the training, are certificates
of completion provided, and are the staff given post training assessments
or hard copy reference documentation. Is the work of the viewing staff
audited or reviewed at intervals?
In addition to their training received at GATSO where a Certificate is
issued, the viewing technicians when on local training receive guidance
from the Operations Supervisor. No specific certificate is issued for this
task. A large number of films are viewed weekly and many when the
Supervisor is present. Thus their work is regularly checked. Separate
audits of the processed work is also checked by the Supervisor

8. For FPG please confirm the distance between the calibration lines on
the road which are part of the secondary check, so that one can calculate
the speed if five lines are passed.
The distance between each secondary check mark is 5 feet. When each site
is commissioned, or re commissioned for any reason all check marks are re
checked.

White line contractors are given a schematic showing the relevant markings
and how these are to be laid.

I hope the information provided is of use.

Steve Grayton
Information Officer
Data Protection & Freedom of Information
Information Management
Strategic Change Management Department
Essex Police Headquarters
PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA
' :Within Essex dial 101 then ext. 54551
Outside Essex: 0300 333 4444 Ext 54551
Fax: 01245 452256
Email : data[Essex Police request email]
<[4]mailto:data[Essex Police request email]>
Personal email: [email address]
<[5]mailto:[email address]>
Website: www.essex.police.uk <[6]http://www.essex.police.uk/>
Hours of work : Mon - Thurs 7:30 to 15:30
Fri 7:30 to 15:00

Please note: 101 is replacing 0300 333 4444 as the way to contact Essex
Police - but always dial 999 if it is an emergency

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your FOI request, you have
the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should
be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to
your original request and should be addressed to the Senior Information
Officer at the above address.

If you complaint refers to a decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline the reasons why you feel the
exemption does not apply.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF

________________________________

From: data foi
Sent: 26 August 2011 08:01
To: 'dennis fallon'
Subject: RE: FOI request our ref. 3707 - Gatso Calibration and Training
[NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED]

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference.

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20
working days but given the current very high number of requests being
received this may not be possible.

We will reply as soon as possible and please accept our apologies for the
inconvenience any delay may cause.

Steve Grayton
Information Officer
Data Protection & Freedom of Information
Information Management
Strategic Change Management Department
Essex Police Headquarters
PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA
' :Within Essex dial 101 then ext. 54551
Outside Essex: 0300 333 4444 Ext 54551
Fax: 01245 452256
Email : data[Essex Police request email]
Personal email: [email address]
Website: www.essex.police.uk
Hours of work : Mon - Thurs 7:30 to 15:30
Fri 7:30 to 15:00

Please note: 101 is replacing 0300 333 4444 as the way to contact Essex
Police - but always dial 999 if it is an emergency

show quoted sections

Dear Steve Grayton,

Thank you for your helpful reply.

Unfortunately the answer to Q1 is pooled data for both camera types, and the data for total calibration costs is not held(and may be difficult to extract).

I am sorry to say that my request was poorly drafted, as my intention was to calculate the 3 year cost trends for calibrating each camera type, and I wish to post a rephrased clarification request.

CLARIFICATION POINT ONE.
Please confirm the cost of single calibration of one Gatso Speed Camera for each of the past three years, with the same data for one Gatso Red Light Camera, indicating any VAT applicable,so that comparisons and trends may be appreciated.
If the costs have showed an increase greater than 5% between consecutive years please advise of any explanation provided by Serco.

I apologise for the original confusion, and you may treat this as a new FOI or simply as clarification within 20 days.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours sincerely,

dennis fallon

data foi, Essex Police

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Thank you for your amended enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference.

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20
working days but given the current very high number of requests being
received this may not be possible.

We will reply as soon as possible and please accept our apologies for the
inconvenience any delay may cause.

Steve Grayton
Information Officer
Data Protection & Freedom of Information
Information Management
Strategic Change Management Department
Essex Police Headquarters
PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA
' :Within Essex dial 101 then ext. 54551
Outside Essex: 0300 333 4444 Ext 54551
Fax: 01245 452256
Email : data[Essex Police request email]
Personal email: [email address]
Website: www.essex.police.uk
Hours of work : Mon - Thurs 7:30 to 15:30
Fri 7:30 to 15:00

Please note: 101 is replacing 0300 333 4444 as the way to contact Essex
Police - but always dial 999 if it is an emergency

show quoted sections

Shirley Elderfield, Essex Police

Classification: NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference. Having completed my enquiries I am able to respond as follows:

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties
on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at
Sec1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a
request is held. The second duty at Sec1(1)(b) is to disclose information
that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon
s17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which: a)
states that fact b) specifies the exemption(s) in question and c) states
(if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

In respect of your enquiry:

Follow up to 3707:

 

I am sorry to say that my request was poorly drafted, as my intention was
to calculate the 3 year cost trends for calibrating each camera type, and
I wish to post a rephrased clarification request:

 

   

Please confirm the cost of single calibration of one Gatso Speed Camera
for each of the past three years, with the same data for one Gatso Red
Light Camera, indicating any VAT applicable, so that comparisons and
trends may be appreciated.

    

If the costs have showed an increase greater than 5% between consecutive
years please advise of any explanation provided by Serco.

 
I advise that this information is not held by Essex Police. Essex Police
purely carries our enforcement and, while we may send the cameras off to
Serco for their annual calibration, the invoicing is sent to Essex County
Council who are the lead in the camera partnership. They can be contacted
via this link:
[1]http://www.drivingcasualtiesdown.org/ or
[2]http://www.essex.gov.uk/Pages/Default.aspx

I trust this is of assistance.

Shirley Elderfield
Information Officer
Strategic Change Management Department
Essex Police HQ
Internal extension 52038
Direct Dial 01245 452647
Essex Police Non emergency Telephone Number (within Essex) 101 (Outside
Essex) 0300 333 4444
Fax: Internal 54142 External 01245 452256
Website: [3]www.essex.police.uk

Information Management, Strategic Change Management Department, Essex
Police Headquarters, PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your FOI request, you have
the right to ask for an internal review. Internal review requests should
be submitted within two months of the date of receipt of the response to
your original request and should be addressed to the Senior Information
Officer at the above address.

If you complaint refers to a decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline the reasons why you feel the
exemption does not apply.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.drivingcasualtiesdown.org/
http://www.drivingcasualtiesdown.org/
2. http://www.essex.gov.uk/Pages/Default.aspx
http://www.essex.gov.uk/Pages/Default.aspx
3. http://www.essex.police.uk/
4. mailto:[FOI #84038 email]

Dear Shirley Elderfield,

Thank you for your help.

Yours sincerely,

dennis fallon