Government Guidelines for CCTV: A Comparison of Four Countries

Abstract

Increased interest in creating safe environments while controlling security costs has led to the proliferation of closed circuit television (CCTV) systems in the public sector. This article describes and compares guidelines from four countries on the installation and usage of CCTV systems. To assist those contemplating, or already invested in, CCTV the national governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand have published guidelines that are voluntary rather than proscriptive. While sharing many recommendations, each set of guidelines also has unique suggestions. This comparative overview of the guidelines provides assistance to practitioner and scholar interested in CCTV.

Keywords:

• closed circuit television
• CCTV
• surveillance
• public sector

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Tom Lauer, Ray Liedka, Robin Michel, and Mark Rigstad, members of the Oakland University Faculty Learning Committee on Surveillance, Privacy, and Security, for providing the discussion that sparked the idea for this paper and for reviewing early drafts and providing valuable feedback. A special thank you to Jay Meehan, whose feedback and encouragement were invaluable. I am truly fortunate to have such a caring colleague. Finally, thank you to the two anonymous reviewers, whose comments were thoughtful and encouraging.

Notes

1. ¹In 2007, United States Senator Joe Lieberman sought an amendment to the FY 2008 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that would have authorized the creation of a national strategy for the effective and appropriate use of CCTV. The amendment required DHS to coordinate with state and local governments as well as provide assessments of privacy and civil liberty concerns, effective usage of CCTV, and best practices on camera usage and data storage. The amendment passed the Senate but was not adopted by the House and did not appear in the final version of the bill.

2. ²A bill to limit the ability of law enforcement to use personal mobile devices for tracking purposes was introduced in Congress in March 2013. It was referred to committee and no further action has been taken. Online Communications and Geolocation Protection Act H.R. 983.