There is use of CCTV at some Essex County Council buildings and there are aspects of data protection laws and regulations that need to be taken into consideration when operating or processing the information obtained from these cameras.
All employees should be aware of what surveillance actually is and refer to our Surveillance and Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) policy (PDF, 370KB) for further advice and guidance.
Using CCTV
Any cameras (including body worn video) operated by or on behalf of the council for the purposes of traffic management and the prevention and detection of crime should also follow this guidance.
Covert surveillance is governed by the council's policy under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers ACT (RIPA) 2000 and does not fall under the scope of this guidance.
CCTV guidance and forms (PDF, 248.65KB)
Before installing and using CCTV you will need to fill out an impact assessment.
CCTV impact assessment form (PDF, 137KB)
Non-investigatory surveillance
You should fill out the non-RIPA surveillance form if you are about to start surveillance that is not for investigatory purposes.