Cameras that must actually be useful.
WHAT MOST CCTV FAILS TO DO
Produce usable images when an incident occurs.
WHY
Poor placement, inadequate resolution, no recording, or recordings overwritten.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE DESIGNING
What each camera is for: detection, recognition or identification.
WHY THAT DISTINCTION MATTERS
Identification requires far more detail than detecting movement.
WHAT THAT DETERMINES
Resolution, lens and distance.
WHAT TO PLACE CAREFULLY
Cameras covering entry points, at a height and angle capturing faces.
WHY
Cameras mounted high capture the tops of heads.
WHAT TO CONSIDER ABOUT LIGHTING
Whether the scene is lit adequately Backlighting, which renders subjects as silhouettes Night capability
WHY BACKLIGHTING MATTERS
Cameras facing doorways and windows produce unusable images.
WHAT RECORDING REQUIRES
Storage sufficient for a meaningful retention period Recording verified as actually occurring Protection of the recorder from tampering and theft
WHY RECORDER PROTECTION MATTERS
Intruders take the recorder.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Recorder in a secure location, or recordings held remotely.
WHAT TO VERIFY PERIODICALLY
That recording is working That images are usable That the time and date are correct
WHY TIME AND DATE
Recordings with wrong timestamps are far less useful as evidence.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT RETENTION
How long recordings are kept.
WHAT PRIVACY REQUIRES
Cameras not covering areas where people expect privacy Notice that recording occurs Controlled access to recordings
WHY
Surveillance carries data protection obligations.
