Use of Body Worn Video

The request was successful.

Dear Surrey County Council,

I am writing to make an open government request for all the
information to which I am entitled under the Freedom of Information
Act 2000.

Please send me:

The details of your use of body cameras in your organisation –

Does anyone (staff or contractors) in your organisation use/wear body cameras or body worn video recording devices while performing their duties?
If yes, please detail:
Who provides the body cameras and footage/evidence management used by your organisation?
How many staff members use body cameras and what capacities/teams do they work in? Are they staff or contractors (for e.g. outsourced security personnel)
How many body cameras in all are currently owned and/or used by your organisation?
Were the cameras bought as a one off purchase and if so, how much did they cost your organisation?
If they are part of an ongoing contract - what is the current contract term (how long is it and when does it expire) and what is the value of said contract?
Where is the data recorded stored – on premises locally or on cloud?
Who is the point of contact for your body camera programme?

I would like the above information to be provided to me via email.

If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you
could contact me as I understand that under the Act, you are
required to advise and assist requesters. If any of this
information is already in the public domain, please can you direct
me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.

If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the
grounds of breach of confidence, I ask that you supply me with
copies of the confidentiality agreement and remind you that
information should not be treated as confidential if such an
agreement has not been signed.

I understand that you are required to respond to my request within
the 20 working days after you receive this letter.

I would be grateful if you could confirm that you have received
this request, preferably via email.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Lucy Johnson

FOI/COR/SCC, Surrey County Council

Dear Ms Johnson

YOUR REQUEST REF NO. 17771 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

Thank you for your request for information received on the 18 December 2017. Your request reference is as above.

We will respond to your request promptly and in any event within 20 working days from the date of receipt of your request. If you wish to contact me to discuss the progress of your request, please use the contact details given below and quote the reference number given above.  

Regards

Helen Gilbert
Commons Registration Officer
Legal, Democratic & Cultural Services
(Mon - Thurs 9am to 3pm)

Corporate Information Governance Team (Room 138) |  Democratic Services  | Surrey County Council | County Hall | Penrhyn Road | Kingston upon Thames | Surrey | KT1 2DN
Tel: 020 8541 8935 | Email: [email address] | GCSx email for [OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE]: [email address]

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FOI/COR/SCC, Surrey County Council

Dear Ms Johnson

 

YOUR REQUEST REF NO. 17771 UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000

We have considered your request which was for

 

Does anyone (staff or contractors) in your organisation use/wear body
cameras or body worn video recording devices while performing their
duties?
If yes, please detail:
Who provides the body cameras and footage/evidence management used by your
organisation?
How many staff members use body cameras and what capacities/teams do they
work in? Are they staff or contractors (for e.g. outsourced security
personnel) How many body cameras in all are currently owned and/or used by
your organisation?
Were the cameras bought as a one off purchase and if so, how much did they
cost your organisation?
If they are part of an ongoing contract - what is the current contract
term (how long is it and when does it expire) and what is the value of
said contract?
Where is the data recorded stored – on premises locally or on cloud?
Who is the point of contact for your body camera programme?

 

Our Highways Service understand that two of our contractors use body worn
cameras and another contractor has trialled the usage.

 

Trading Standards have responded to the questions as set out below.

 

Does anyone (staff or contractors) in your organisation use/wear body
cameras or body worn video recording devices while performing their
duties?

If yes, please detail:

 

Yes for some situations such as executing an entry warrant.  They are not
worn routinely

 

Who provides the body cameras and footage/evidence management used by your
organisation?

 

The body cameras are owned by Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading
Standards, and the footage generated is managed by Trading Standards.

 

How many staff members use body cameras and what capacities/teams do they
work in? Are they staff or contractors (for e.g. outsourced security
personnel)

 

Staff using the cameras work in Trading Standards.  The number of staff
using the cameras can vary as they are not used daily by a particular
group.  The cameras are used on particular operations (for example, but
not exclusively, executing a warrant to enter a property, search and seize
documents/goods) and the number of officers on each operation will vary. 
Trading Standards estimate the usual number to wear body worn cameras
would be between 2 and 4 officers.

 

How many body cameras in all are currently owned and/or used by your
organisation?

 

Trading Standards own six

Were the cameras bought as a one off purchase and if so, how much did they
cost your organisation?

 

Yes. There was no cost to Trading Standards as the body worn cameras were
funded by the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioners office

 

If they are part of an ongoing contract - what is the current contract
term (how long is it and when does it expire) and what is the value of
said contract?

 

They are not part of a contract

 

Where is the data recorded stored – on premises locally or on cloud?

 

The data is stored locally in line with Trading Standards’ procedures for
the storage of evidence

 

Who is the point of contact for your body camera programme?

 

Amanda Poole

 

Planning Enforcement have responded as set out below.

 

Does anyone (staff or contractors) in your organisation use/wear body
cameras or body worn video recording devices while performing their
duties?

If yes, please detail:

 

Yes, on rare occasions, used once to date  for safety purposes.

 

Who provides the body cameras and footage/evidence management used by your
organisation?

 

Surrey County Council Planning Development Management purchased 2 x body
worn cameras.

 

How many staff members use body cameras and what capacities/teams do they
work in? Are they staff or contractors (for e.g. outsourced security
personnel) How many body cameras in all are currently owned and/or used by
your organisation?

 

2 Planning Enforcement Officers have used them for a site inspection
accompanied by the Police.

2 x Body Worn Cameras are owned by the Planning Development Management
Division of Surrey County Council.

 

Were the cameras bought as a one off purchase and if so, how much did they
cost your organisation?

 

Yes, they were purchased in October 2016 at a cost of £226.16, incl. 2 x
Micro SD cards for extended recording.

 

If they are part of an ongoing contract - what is the current contract
term (how long is it and when does it expire) and what is the value of
said contract?

 

N/A.

 

Where is the data recorded stored – on premises locally or on cloud?

 

On Surrey County Council's computer system: hard drive at County Hall.

 

Who is the point of contact for your body camera programme?

 

There is no programme. 

 

We understand that the Fire & Rescue Service have been undertaking a
pilot.

 

We supply this information based on your original request. Please do not
hesitate to contact me at the above address if you have any queries
regarding the information supplied.  Remember to quote the reference
number above in any future communications.

 

If you are unhappy with the handling of your request for information and
wish to make a complaint or request a review of our decision, in the first
instance you should contact the County Council, quoting your request
number given above, at:

 

Freedom of Information Officer

Surrey County Council

Legal Democratic & Cultural Services

County Hall

Penrhyn Road

Kingston upon Thames

Surrey

KT1 2DN

[Surrey County Council request email]

 

If you are not satisfied by the County Council’s response to your
complaint, you have the right to apply to the Information Commissioner for
a decision.  The Information Commissioner will normally expect you to have
exhausted our complaints procedure.  The Information Commissioner can be

contacted at:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

Mrs Mary J Elliott

Freedom of Information Officer

Legal, Democratic and Cultural Services

(Mondays to Thursdays)

 

Corporate Information Governance Team (Room 138) |  Democratic Services |
Surrey County Council | County Hall | Penrhyn Road | Kingston upon Thames
| Surrey | KT1 2DN

Tel: 020 8541 7969 | Email: [1][Surrey County Council request email]

 

 

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References

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