Statement on CCTV decommissioning work

Following the 2017/18 budget decision to decommission a number of city council’s Community Safety CCTV cameras, a robust assessment of this network identified a number of them no longer met the legal operational requirement to be used in a public space.

Cllr John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities, said: “A robust assessment of our Community Safety CCTV network has found that 62 of those 197 cameras no longer met the legal Operational Requirement for cameras to be used in the public realm, as set out by the Home Office Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s (HOSSC) compliance guidelines.

“These were identified as non-compliant for various reasons, such as obsolete or faulty equipment that is no longer fit for purpose, or cameras being used in areas where little or no crime is recorded - therefore no longer meeting the legal requirement for use in areas where crime or anti-social behaviour is an issue.

“We are also investing in eight new redeployable CCTV cameras – which can be used in different areas of the city (based on data intelligence and local need) – which means in total there will be 20 of these in use across the city.

“Following this work, Birmingham will still be covered by significant wider network of 258 public space CCTV cameras (including the remaining 135 Community Safety cameras).”

Being transparent about decommissioning forms part of HOSCC’s Passport to Compliance - which also forms part of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.

You can see a list of cameras being decommissioned here.