Who do I contact if I have a complaint?

A member of the public wishing to register a complaint with regard to any aspect of a local authority CCTV scheme may do so by contacting any Staffordshire Police Station or Local Authority Office. Any such complaint will be dealt with in accordance with existing discipline rules and regulations to which all members of Staffordshire Police and the Local Authorities, including CCTV operators, are subjects.

What is Closed Circuit Television?

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is a television system, which operates on a "closed loop" basis. Unlike broadcast television, which is available to anyone with a suitable receiver, CCTV pictures are only available to those directly connected to the loop, which in Tamworth's case is the central monitoring control room. The loop is a physical link consisting of a fibre optic cable, which carries the picture from the camera to a monitor.

Who sees the picture?

Tamworth Borough Council employ officers who continually monitor the pictures 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Any pictures viewed by the operators can also be seen by Staffordshire Police Officers.

Who has access to the control centre?

Access to the control centre is restricted to the Council's CCTV Manager, the maintenance contractor, the Police and the CCTV operators. Access is restricted to protect the integrity of the evidence that is recorded on a daily basis. Operational Procedures and a Code of Practice based on Home Office guidelines strictly control the operation of the control centre. These cover every aspect of the day to day running of the CCTV system, for example where the cameras should or should not be looking.

How are the Police alerted to an incident?

Tamworth Police are alerted to a CCTV incident via the Police radio situated in the CCTV control room. The CCTV operators are in constant contact with the Police's central control room, which deploys Police Officers on the ground in Tamworth.
The police radio has the capability for the CCTV operator to speak to an officer at an incident on a one to one basis, much like a mobile phone.

How long are the images stored on file?

Public space CCTV images are retained in secure storage for 31 days, and then destroyed without viewing unless required by the police for investigating an incident.

How do i get access to CCTV images?

A request can be made from the owner/ operator of the CCTV system for CCTV images of yourself under the 'Subject access request' provisions of the data protection act. These forms are held at Tamworth police station.