Images and video stored

The request was partially successful.

Dear Durham Constabulary,

With reference to this article https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a01e6... “Maverick chief constable builds ‘villains’ file with body cameras” - ‘Police are using body cameras to compile image databases of repeat offenders and known “villains” in order to help track them down in future investigations’, please answer the following under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:

Images:
1) Are still images taken from the Body Worn Video (BWV) and stored, if so which database, i.e. what is the name of the database, are they stored on?
2) Please advise when this database started.
3) Please advise how many separate images are stored.
4) Please advise if images derived from other video, such as hand held, mobile device or vehicle cameras, are also stored on a, or the same, database.
5) Are images stored derived from any other source? E.g. public or private video cameras or social media, etc.
6) Please advise when there is consideration to delete or destroy image footage and what the consideration is.
7) How many ‘persons of interest’, individuals, are stored on any ‘image database’ derived from BWV (and from other video source) as referred to in the Times article.
8) How many of these individuals with images stored have convictions?
9) How many of these individuals with images stored have no convictions?
10) Are any images shared to other national or regional databases?
11) Are individuals informed their images are stored on a database?

Video:
12) Is there a database of video footage stored?
13) Please advise when this database started.
14) Please advise how many hours of video footage is stored.
15) Please advise what devices the video footage is taken from.
16) Are any videos stored derived from any other source? E.g. public or private video cameras or social media, etc.
17) How many ‘persons of interest’, individuals, are stored on any such video database
18) Please advise when there is consideration to delete or destroy video footage and what the consideration is.

19) Please advise if any children under 16 are on any image or video database.

Biometric:
20) Is specific biometric data, i.e. facial, gait, voice, analysed by computer or artificial intelligence on images or video. If so please specify what biometric is analysed on which format.
21) Please advise the company supplying the equipment.

AI:
22) Please advise the company supplying the AI which would help officers decide whether or not a suspect should be kept in custody and when it started.
23) Please advise how many custody decisions have been aided by this system.

24) Please supply the Privacy Impact Assessments for any of the above databases.

Some parts of this request may be easier to answer than others and in such case please could you release available data as soon as possible rather than delay the entire request.

If you are not fully certain of what it is I am asking then I look forward to contact from you as soon as possible to clarify what it is I am requesting in order to meet your obligations under the law.

If the costs of processing this request exceed the limit in the Act, please advise on what information you are able to supply within the cost limit.

Yours faithfully,

Pippa King

Freedom of Information, Durham Constabulary

Your request has been received by Durham Constabulary's Information Rights
& Disclosure Unit and will be actioned accordingly. If you have any
queries please contact 0191 375 2596 Mondays to Fridays between the hours
of 7.45am and 5pm.

DURHAM CONSTABULARY, Protecting Neighbourhoods, Tackling Criminals,
Solving Problems…Around the Clock

NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING: Use your postcode to get access to local news and
events from your Neighbourhood Policing Team, at
https://www.durham.police.uk

This email carries a disclaimer, a copy of which may be read at
https://www.durham.police.uk/Pages/E-Mai...

Freedom of Information, Durham Constabulary

Good afternoon,

Further to your request below. Unfortunately we are not able to provide the requested information within the statutory time limit. This is due to absences on official business overseas and annual leave. We hope to be able to respond by September 22nd. I apologise for the delay and any inconvenience caused.

Kind regards,
A Hattersley
Information Rights and Disclosure Supervisor
Professional Standards & Legal Services Department
Durham Constabulary
Tel: 101 extn: 75 2596
Internal Tel: 75 2596
Direct Dial: 0191 375 2596

“Delivering excellent policing, inspiring confidence in victims and our communities, by:
Protecting Neighbourhoods
Tackling Criminals
Solving Problems
…Around the clock”

‘Integrity instils confidence’

Dear Freedom of Information,

A response to this Freedom of Information request was sent on 29th July and was due back on 29th August, then was further delayed "due to absences on official business overseas and annual leave" as per your communication on 14th August.

Please could you provide the information in the original Freedom of Information request https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/i... or conduct an internal review as to why the request of the 29th July was not answered.

If the costs of processing the original request exceed the limit in the Act, please advise on what information you are able to supply within the cost limit.

Than you for your time on this.

Yours sincerely,

Pippa King

Freedom of Information, Durham Constabulary

Your request has been received by Durham Constabulary's Information Rights
& Disclosure Unit and will be actioned accordingly. If you have any
queries please contact 0191 375 2596 Mondays to Fridays between the hours
of 7.45am and 5pm.

DURHAM CONSTABULARY, Protecting Neighbourhoods, Tackling Criminals,
Solving Problems…Around the Clock

NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING: Use your postcode to get access to local news and
events from your Neighbourhood Policing Team, at
https://www.durham.police.uk

This email carries a disclaimer, a copy of which may be read at
https://www.durham.police.uk/Pages/E-Mai...

Freedom of Information, Durham Constabulary

Good morning

Further to my email below. Unfortunately it has not been possible to gather the information and confer with various business owners to meet the deadline. I can only apologise for this. We are endeavouring to provide a full response by 14th October.

Kind regards,
A Hattersley
Information Rights and Disclosure Supervisor
Professional Standards & Legal Services Department
Durham Constabulary
Tel: 101 extn: 75 2596
Internal Tel: 75 2596
Direct Dial: 0191 375 2596
“Delivering excellent policing, inspiring confidence in victims and our communities, by:
Protecting Neighbourhoods
Tackling Criminals
Solving Problems
…Around the clock”
‘Integrity instils confidence’

Dear Freedom of Information,

After taking advice from the Information Commissioner's Office today they advised me to refer this Freedom of Information request to them for a response, as the reasons for delay are not falling within the remit of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely,

Pippa King

Pippa King left an annotation ()

An official complaint was made on 28th September 2017 to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Freedom of Information, Durham Constabulary

Good afternoon,

Further to my email of the 28th September. Unfortunately we are awaiting clarifications from our business owner to various aspects of the request. I can only apologise for the unforeseen delays and assure you we are endeavouring to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.

Kind regards,
A Hattersley
Information Rights and Disclosure Supervisor
Professional Standards & Legal Services Department
Durham Constabulary
Tel: 101 extn: 75 2596
Internal Tel: 75 2596
Direct Dial: 0191 375 2596
“Delivering excellent policing, inspiring confidence in victims and our communities, by:
Protecting Neighbourhoods
Tackling Criminals
Solving Problems
…Around the clock”
‘Integrity instils confidence’

Freedom of Information, Durham Constabulary

3 Attachments

Good afternoon,

Please find attached the response to your request below. I apologise for the delay in this matter.

Kind regards,
A Hattersley
Information Rights and Disclosure Supervisor
Professional Standards & Legal Services Department
Durham Constabulary
“Delivering excellent policing, inspiring confidence in victims and our communities, by:
Protecting Neighbourhoods
Tackling Criminals
Solving Problems
…Around the clock”
‘Integrity instils confidence’

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Biometrics Commissioner - 16/2/23

The use of overt surveillance camera systems in public places by police forces in England and Wales: An assessment of compliance with the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice

'8. Not all respondents have completed data protection impact assessments for all the technology under discussion in this survey. This is a concern, particularly given the government’s position that much of the work currently undertaken by the Surveillance Camera Commissioner is a data protection issue, and already falls under the remit of the ICO notwithstanding any legislative proposals to abolished (sic) the Surveillance Camera Code by the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill.'

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material Annual Report - January 2021 – March 2022

And

Surveillance Camera Commissioner Annual Report March 2021 – March 2022

February 2023

'84. More worrying is the reported use of images of people who, while having been arrested, have never subsequently been charged or summonsed, for comparison against Live Facial Recognition ‘reads‘ and watchlists. As I record in Part 2 of this report, the use of facial recognition technology by the police has become one of the most contentious areas of biometric surveillance, not just in the UK but globally .

Part 2 – Facial Recognition and AI

96. The objective of the event was to gain a better understanding of how facial recognition technology is perceived by society in a policing and law enforcement context. Speaking at the event were the Forensic Science Regulator, a senior lecturer from Sheffield University and representatives from the Biometrics Institute, the Information Commissioner’s Office, South Wales Police, and Big Brother Watch.

Appendix F: Facial recognition and AI'

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...

Initial analysis of the 2022 police survey returns
Published 14 November 2022

Is your force operating Facial Recognition Technology?

'Only one force stated that it was using LFR (from the list supplied). Six had access to PND and two of those to CAID. One other mentioned access to Athena.'

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

Live facial recognition technology guidance published
22/3/22

https://www.college.police.uk/article/li...

The Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner's response to the College of Policing APP on Live Facial Recognition - 6/4/22

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-b...

Chief Constables’ Council

Title: National Biometrics Function and National Facial Recognition Project - 30/9/21

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/8...

Who's Watching You? Report by Big Brother Watch - 7/2/22

https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-conten...

'Police forces were reluctant to answer questions about any advanced capabilities, while some refused to say if they used Chinese brands at all'

The Guardian (15/2/23):

'British police are leaving themselves open to spying by Beijing because of their reliance on Chinese-made cameras, according to a report from the government’s independent watchdog on surveillance.'

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/f...

Fact Sheet on live facial recognition used by police Home Office 2019

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov....