Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report details the policy and procedure developed following the review of Public Open Space CCTV.  It details how we will ensure that the significant investment in CCTV is targeted effectively in the city whilst ensuring compliance with the Information Commissioners Office Code of Practice for surveillance cameras.

The Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 14 December 2022.

The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhood Services) which detailed the policy and procedure developed following the review of Public Open Space CCTV. It detailed how the Council would ensure that the significant investment in CCTV was targeted effectively in the city whilst ensuring compliance with the Information Commissioners Office Code of Practice for surveillance cameras. The Committee was invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 14 December 2022.

Key points and themes in the report included:

• Background information;
• Investment in CCTV;
• CCTV Board;
• Policy and procedure for CCTV legitimacy and effectiveness;
• Additional cameras; and
• Legal advice.

The Statutory Deputy Leader reported that the Council was committed to investing in upgrading its CCTV equipment and placing cameras in the right locations where they were most effective.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

• Cameras that could be deployed across the city to address areas that were subjected to sustained fly-tipping;
• Had a data protection impact assessment been carried out and, if so, could Committee Members see it;
• The process relating to proposals to site cameras in new locations, including how Ward Councillors would be involved in this and whether residents could be involved too;
• The concentration of CCTV cameras in the city centre, asking that consideration be given to placing more cameras in other parts of the city and ensuring that their location was spread fairly across the city;
• To request a breakdown of how many CCTV cameras were located in the city centre and how many were in other areas and how many were used to address crime and disorder as opposed to fly-tipping;
• Was a full review being carried out of the location of all CCTV cameras across Manchester; and
• The capacity of the CCTV control room if additional cameras were installed in future.

The Director of Commercial and Operations clarified that mobile cameras, operated by the Compliance and Enforcement team, were used to tackle flytipping and that additional funding had been provided for these from the Growth and Waste funding in the budget. 

The Community Safety Lead advised that the Council had a data protection impact assessment for CCTV cameras which was currently being updated and that she could share the existing one.  She advised that proposals for the location of cameras would be discussed at a ward level, facilitated by the neighbourhood teams, with Ward Councillors being able to discuss where they had concerns and thought that cameras would be a good solution for a crime problem; however, she advised that the views of the local police and neighbourhood teams would also be taken into account so it could be decided that it was not appropriate to place a camera in a particular location or that there were other ways to resolve the problem.  She advised that consideration would be given to how residents could feed into this.  She reported that cameras would be located where there was the greatest need, including consideration of the crime statistics and other provision in the area.  She stated that she could provide Members with the breakdown of the location of cameras between the city centre and neighbourhood areas.  She confirmed that the fly-tipping cameras were not included with the scope of the report.  She confirmed that a full review of the location of CCTV cameras would take place and that their location would be continuously reviewed to ensure compliance with the legislation.

The Director of Commercial and Operations advised that decisions on the distribution of cameras would be evidence-based, identifying where they were most needed, rather than an equal spread across the city, and that this was what was required legislatively.  In response to a Member’s question about changes in technology, he reported that the new cameras would primarily perform the key function of observing what was taking place and feeding it back to the control room and that there were no current plans relating to the use of artificial intelligence.  He reported that there was physically space in the CCTV control room to monitor more cameras but it could require more operatives to monitor them, which would be an additional cost.  He also advised that the location and capacity of the control room was due to be reviewed.

Chief Inspector Adam Wignall from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) reported that, where there were concerns about crime in a particular location but it did not meet the requirements for installing a CCTV camera, other measures would be put in place to tackle the problem and he outlined some of the work taking place to reduce crime and disorder, including the establishment of prevention hubs and work with the Community Safety Partnership and local communities to solve problems in local areas.  In response to a question from the Chair about GMP’s budget for CCTV cameras, noting that they had previously invested in cameras in Moss Side which were now obsolete, he advised that he would need to look into this.  He reported that GMP had recently installed cameras in Piccadilly Gardens, with assistance from the Community Safety Partnership.

The Community Safety Lead reported that Safer Streets funding had been used to fill some of the gaps in areas of Moss Side and Rusholme which required CCTV coverage.  In response to a question from the Chair about the future replacement of cameras as they reached the end of their lifespan, she reported that replacing the 169 cameras that were over 7 years old would make a significant difference but confirmed that there would be a rolling maintenance programme.

Decisions

1.            To receive the further information that Members have asked for at an appropriate time, including in relation to control room capacity, plans to manage the replacement of other cameras as they reach the end of their lifespan and GMP funding for CCTV cameras.

2.            To endorse the recommendation to the Executive that:

The Executive is recommended to:-

Approve the Policy and Procedure for legitimacy and effectiveness of CCTV in the city.