CCTV recording cameras in Police station Cells
Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.036736
I note you seek access to the following information:
- Do you have secret CCTV cameras (or even not secret CCTV cameras) operating and live recording / and or viewing in any of the London MET Police Station cells, that view and / or record the person in custody without them knowing, and without them being informed that you are doing so ?
- If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, do you provide notices within the cells advising the person detained that they are / or may be, being video recorded, live or on a recorded format that can be viewed at a later date?
- If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells without the person detained knowing, for what reason do you do this? You have other means to check on a person within the cell, from the viewing window in the cell door.
- If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, does it cover the whole police station cell (I say whole, in what would be understood as a reasonable way), including any toilet area?
And if it does, is this not against the human rights of the detained person, as they may have been charged with a crime, but until the point of being convicted, they are innocent until proved guilty, and should be considered an innocent person until that time, and treated in the same manner that any other innocent person would be? - If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, do you blank out the areas of the Toilet area? Should a toilet area not be blanked out, would you agree this is below the MET professional standards of operating, and against the human rights of the person detained?
- If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, please can you provide full details of everyone that has the authority to look at the recordings, if they are live, or recordings that can be viewed at a later time.
- If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells,
(a) How long do you retain those recordings?
(b) How are they securely stored?
(c) How do you know they cannot be illegally downloaded?
(d) How can you confirm that they cannot be copied in anyway?
(e) How can you confirm they cannot be manipulated in anyway?
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.
Please find below information pursuant to your request above.
Q1 - Do you have secret CCTV cameras (or even not secret CCTV cameras) operating and live recording / and or viewing in any of the London MET Police Station cells, that view and / or record the person in custody without them knowing, and without them being informed that you are doing so ?
Not secret CCTV cameras.
Q2 - If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, do you provide notices within the cells advising the person detained that they are / or may be, being video recorded, live or on a recorded format that can be viewed at a later date?
All detainees are informed where cells are covered on CCTV on arrival.
Q3 - If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells without the person detained knowing, for what reason do you do this? You have other means to check on a person within the cell, from the viewing window in the cell door.
Most but not all cells are covered by CCTV, where CCTV is in use, detainees are made aware.
Q4 - If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, does it cover the whole police station cell (I say whole, in what would be understood as a reasonable way), including any toilet area?
And if it does, is this not against the human rights of the detained person, as they may have been charged with a crime, but until the point of being convicted, they are innocent until proved guilty, and should be considered an innocent person until that time, and treated in the same manner that any other innocent person would be?
CCTV covers the entirety of the cell but the toilet area is obscured and cannot be seen on CCTV or through the spy hole/wicket.
Q5 - If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, do you blank out the areas of the Toilet area? Should a toilet area not be blanked out, would you agree this is below the MET professional standards of operating, and against the human rights of the person detained?
In response to question 4, there is no question to answer.
Q6 - If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells, please can you provide full details of everyone that has the authority to look at the recordings, if they are live, or recordings that can be viewed at a later time.
Recordings are live for staff to be able monitor detainee behaviour and safeguard vulnerable detainees. Access to the system is controlled by Custody Managers who are the rank of Inspector. Anyone who wants access to the system must have that access authorised by an Inspector. Recordings can be accessed for downloading for evidential purposes.
Q7 - If you do have CCTV cameras operating within any of your London MET police station cells,
(a) How long do you retain those recordings? 1 (one) year.
(b) How are they securely stored?
They are stored on servers accessed on a password protected computer which has password protected software for viewing and recording.
(c) How do you know they cannot be illegally downloaded?
Access is controlled by an Inspector in individual custody suites
(d) How can you confirm that they cannot be copied in anyway?
Recordings can be copied for evidential purposes but this is controlled by an Inspector.
(e) How can you confirm they cannot be manipulated in anyway?
Recordings are stored on secure servers that staff do not have access to so therefore cannot be altered. The software used is only capable to viewing and downloading footage, not altering it.
INFORMATION -
Where a cell has CCTV, there is a picture/notice in the cell that states - Attention, this cell may be the subject of monitoring by CCTV.