Hello I'm after a bit of advice please.

There was a camera erected at the back of my house last year. Which is fine as it keeps an eye on the shops where gangs of people hang out.

I asked the council why it's there and what it's for on three occasions. Once by phone - they said they'd phone me back - still waiting... once by email - no reply... and once via a letter after they sent me a council tax demand (even though I have a DD set up) - no reply.

My concern is it can see into my kitchen, my bathroom (if the window, large fire escape style one, is open) and my garden.
I am not involved in any illegal activity but I always feel like I'm being watched when gardening and no longer is it possible to sit on the throne with the window open slightly..

lol

http://www.ico.gov.uk/home/for_the_public/topic_specific_guides/cctv.aspx

Thanks Bert. I have blinds Summer but I like to let the light and fresh air into the house. I've resorted to waving Victory signs when I go out the back door... Maybe I'm just paranoid
I'm going slightly mad... I'm going slightly maaaaddddd

I think you answered your own question there

All thats needed is a shield that stops the camera sweeping your property - shout loud enough and jump up and down a lot and something may get done.

....else get an air rifle and take the fooker out

I don't really recall gangs hanging out causing trouble... only one idiot who rides round the streets/pavements/footpaths day and night on a mini moto and when I asked a CSO if I accidently knocked him off with my car when it's dark and he comes flying round the corner into me apparently I'd get done!?

As long as you don't knock him off his bike in your toilet, no one will see you.

Basically under UK law, you are allowed to take pictures of private property provided you take them from a public place. There are some limitations of privacy concerning publication of the images, but this is of no use to you.

There is a way, if it is persistently taking pictures of you or your property then this can be classed as harassment. Make a formal complaint of harassment to them if this is the case, if they ignore it then make a complaint of harassment to the police.

As I minor point, is the camera clearly on public property, does it overhang a boundary or anything? If so then that would simplify things - just tell the council to bring an axe.

Although I can't find any immediate references to it, if there are children living or regularly visiting your property then there must be some method of using this to limit its operation. It is not unreasonable to have your bathroom window open, and it was there before the camera.

Install a nice bright security light, and focus it directly on the camera lens!

Buy the kids some nice new shiny paint guns

Is there anywhere left in Britain that isn't being watched by CCTV cameras?
What a reflection on today's society, do we really only behave ourselves because we know someone is watching our every move?

From the ICOs CCTV Code of Practice:

6. Selecting and siting the cameras

Any CCTV images must be adequate for the purpose for which you are collecting them. It is essential that you choose camera equipment and locations which achieve the purposes for which you are using CCTV. Both permanent and movable cameras should be sited and image capture restricted to ensure that they do not view areas that are not of interest and are not intended to be the subject of surveillance, such as individuals’ private property. The cameras must be sited and the system must have the necessary technical specification to ensure that images are of the appropriate quality.

source:

CCTV Code of Practice

I'm all in favour of them, looks like there's been four cars torched in four nights around Birkenhead. It is a very poor state of affairs, but better with CCTV than without.

At one time 90% of houses didn't have anything worth robbing, in today's more affluent society, most houses do, hence crime is likely to increase to match - the price we pay.

The camera "should" have privacy zones. Basically even if the camera is physically pointing at your house the CCTV software will blank it out. We had this on our system at an old work place and you can't bypass it (only the installers can)

My favourite one.

Ask the Council under the treedom of information act and they have to rrespond.

Buy a pipe cutter or a hacksaw!

Phil

Find out who your local Councillor is and make your complaint to them, ask them to investigate the situation on your behalf, thats what they are paid to do =)

Councillors are voluntary, they are not paid. But it is a good idea.

As a last resort, you can always try the Local Government Ombudsman http://www.lgo.org.uk/ but the way this Government's goin, it'll probably be abolished by the time you make a complaint

I personally prefere the personal approach when it comes to delicate matters such as this and in my honest opinion i would suggest that it be delt with directly....gas axe the fooker!!

So you think it is good? You think CCTV is working? If there have been 4 cars torched in 4 nights, then IMHO the CCTV is not stopping them. Is it? Real bobbies on the beat do work though. We have, after a long series of complaints got them back where I live, and the amount of trouble is now minimal.

You can't stop cars being torched if there is no CCTV in the road there being torched in, even a bobby on the beat has got to move out of a certain road, allowing crime to be committed when his back is turned. We can't have CCTV everywhere as well as we can't have a bobby on every corner, however better with than without CCTV as well as more bobbies, though stiffer sentences would help and improve things.

[quote=gohunterSo you think it is good? You think CCTV is working? If there have been 4 cars torched in 4 nights, then IMHO the CCTV is not stopping them. Is it? Real bobbies on the beat do work though. We have, after a long series of complaints got them back where I live, and the amount of trouble is now minimal.[/quote]

Using the converse argument - if all CCTVs (shop, road & home) were switched off, do you think crime would increase? My answer is definite YES!

If more houses/roads had CCTV, then I do think crime would decrease.

There ARE more "bobbies" on the beat (albeit CPOs).

My problem with this is it seems somehow to put all the responsibility for preventing crime onto TV cameras and the Police - as if it were somehow inevitable that people will do bad things unless someone is actually watching over them - and the people who are committing the crimes can somehow now shift the blame for their own bad selves onto "inadequate crime prevention / technology". I would prefer it if we could all maybe teach our children that it is wrong to steal / rob / hurt /kill etc.
Basically I guess I want to turn the clock back to when people had some respect for one another and (most) people behaved themselves because you were 'brung up proper' - when being law-abiding was the right thing to do at all times - not like now when some people only behave themselves if someone is watching their every move.
Don't get me wrong I do accept that there is a legitimate role for CCTV, such as watching over terrorist targets, etc - but it really shouldn't IMNSHO be seen or thought to be the only thing stopping ordinary people from robbing each other blind, torching each other's property etc...

If you look at real crime figures, then I think you will find there was a lot more crime in the past then people believe these days.

The biggest crime deterrent for first offenders has got be punishment, the best crime deterrent (and cure) for re-offenders is death.

There are many periods in history, even recent history, where the majority of British people were in complete (food, clothes) poverty - obviously in those times people took more risks and did more crime. The welfare state was a big turning point in reducing crime - that is it's primary purpose, many humanitarians would disagree with that statement, but at the end of the day, everything is down to pounds and pennies, the welfare system is cost-effective because it reduces crime.

Unfortunately, as we now live in a more affluent society, the "poverty standard" has gone up, combined with the ready availability of non-prescription drugs, the welfare system is no longer coping with the financial requirements to reduce crime.

The biggest cause of crime in this country is illegal drugs - if you stop the drugs, crime would reduce by 80-90%, and in turn, the we would need less police. There lies a problem, the motivation of police to eliminate crime would not be in there own interests - as evidence of that just look at Ray Mallon - he knew ways to reduce crime and reduce the number of police required and he was instantly hounded out.

Ray Mallon reduced crime by 43% including a 71% reduction in burglaries in Cleveland. Once you near enough eliminate a particular crime, it is no longer the norm and takes a lot less policing to maintain the lower level. Ray Mallon's long term plan was to reduce the police force by 50%. Instead he was put on suspension for four and a half years before being cleared of any wrong-doing, clearly his position was then untenable within the force, despite an incredible amount of support from the local (and national) public, he agreed to resign.

You may be right, I don't know - but they seemed to manage back then without steel shutters on local shops and CCTV all over the place... people also (for real!) didn't feel the need to lock their doors or close their windows at night. Yes of course there's been thieves and murderers all through history - but ordinary people didn't seem to be OK with ripping EACH OTHER off quite like today. Can't all be wishful thinking, can it?

Back then, whatever period of time we choose, there wasn't the technology to have wide spread CCTV, criminals may well have been as active but they were met with proper sentencing and from an early age. They focus to much in my opinion on rehabilitation, i couldn't care less for rehabilitation, if a prison sentence doesn't rehabilitate then maybe a longer sentence next time will, and if that one doesn't do it, a longer one again, my preference is that they are off the streets. A big industry has grown over the years and a lot of money is there to be made pussy footing over criminals and all that's needed is lock them up and keep locking them up until the penny drops.