Housing association installing CCTV in halls of our building - help and advice

[Morfa]

Hi al, looking for advice about CCTV?

We live in a housing association complex of 20 flat's for people with varying need's.

Of the 20 flat's most are of the older age bracket, some with varying needs and problems, and we have a housing officer who come around 3 mornings a week to check on people.

We have a key fob entrance to the building and we have never had any problems with unwanted people within the building.

The housing officer has said that they are going to install CCTV cameras in the halls of the building.

They have not asked anyone about this, and in general most people are against them, with some people who have various mental health problems very upset about it.

Please could anyone help with advice and if they go ahead with this,

what they have to do with regards sign's and who sees what they record assuming they do record?

Thank you for any help,

[dx100uk]

thread title updated.

they are quite entitled to do so. 

[Bazooka Boo]

Undoubtedly these will be discreet units and will only add to the security of residents in the building.

As DX says, it's their building and they are at liberty to put up these cameras, if they were above your front door monitoring movements in and out of individual flats then that could be construed as an infringement on your right to a private life/invasion of privacy.

As they will be monitoring the landing areas, stairwells etc not a great deal you can do IMHO.

Speak to your housing officer about your concerns.

[stu007]

Hi

I dealt with CCTV for some years for a very large Housing Association.

They most likely wont just be installing this CCTV just in you building most likely other properties that the Housing Association own with be getting these installed as well.

The installation and the areas covered will be for security and to also protect the Housing Associations Property as remember it is your rents that pay for repairs for any damage etc caused.

The CCTV recording will only be viewable by staff within the Housing Association and the Police if the Police ask the Housing Association and that the staff will have taken that appropriate training and of courses for CCTV also the Housing Association will have to be registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) as well.

These are not being installed to pry on the tenants is will be for security of the property/building only

Does the Housing Association have to tell you they are going to be installing these legally no but it would be better to inform the tenants and the reason why.

This does not stop you tenants within that building asking for a meeting with the Housing Manager to have the reason explained why the installation if this CCTV system is being installed and to air your views/concerns.

There are numerous regulation and legislation that the Housing Association will have to follow with the CCTV right down to signage, staff training on CCTV, Handling of CCTV Footage, Storage of CCTV Footage etc.

My own Housing Association at the time in one estate have over 100 CCTV Cameras covering every single area of that estate ( that's just one estate) from externally to internally within the buildings. Only trained CCTV Operators were allowed into the CCTV Room or the Police and the only other person allowed into that room was myself doing spot checks to get into that room was like Fort Knox it was that secure.

[stu007]

Hi

Just thought I would check in to see how this is going any update for us?

[Morfa]

9 hours ago, stu007 said:

Hi

Just thought I would check in to see how this is going any update for us?

Hi,

As of yesterday they have decided to put the installation of CCTV on hold due to the number of residents not happy with it.

Thank for your help,

[stu007]

Hi

Thanks for the update and that will be good news to yourself and others.

Hopefully they will now do a proper consultation with the residents on the CCTV which after the numerous complaints they should realise they should have done this in the first place.

Bear in mind what I mentioned in post#4.

Yes we were installing CCTV but before that there was numerous meetings throughout our Housing Association Estates with residents to explain why the CCTV was going to be installed with Q&A sessions numerous residents meetings all over a year before a main major Consultation with all residents took place to vote on the CCTV the outcome of that Consultation at the end was a majority of residents saying Yes to the CCTV.

Even after we installed the CCTV we still had numerous residents meeting showed them around the Control Room for the CCTV and how it operates, who has access, what happens with the CCTV for Legal purposes etc. The residents didn't realise how beneficial it was also for medical emergencies until CCTV on a few occasions watched a resident have an accident where the CCTV operator called the Police & ambulance service where without that CCTV that resident could have been lying there for hours getting worse before someone noticed them.

So if it done right by a Housing Association and explained properly to residents the above is what happens.

Sadly your Housing Association seems to have got it all wrong in it's approach with the CCTV as you need to get the residents on side by doing what I have mentioned above but your lot have just went heavy handed were installing it so what ops now the residents are complaining best put it on hold.

One important thing to bear in mind also is it is the Tenants/Residents Rents that are paying for this CCTV/Equipment, staff training, control room etc. it all comes out of your rents.

Make sure and push them for residents meeting on this CCTV and a proper Consultation