Advice on CCTV.

Look at other ways to improve the security of your home before purchasing a CCTV system. However, when installed correctly and used for the right purpose, CCTV can be an effective tool. It can discourage anti-social behaviour and reduce crime because offenders don't want to be caught on camera.

If you own the property, then it is perfectly legal to install CCTV (even with recording and playback capabilities) to protect your property against intruders and trespassers. You cannot put cameras up on other people's property without their consent. If you do not own the property, you will need written permission to install CCTV

Whilst the use of CCTV for crime prevention and detection is encouraged by police it can lead to disputes between neighbours.

The legislation around CCTV cameras is civil and overseen by the Information Compliance Office (ICO) and the Surveillance Camera Commissioner. The police are very limited in their ability to deal with disputes over CCTV as there are no criminal offences. They may only be able to mediate or give advice.

If you wish to use CCTV, check with your local authority before installing, as certain installations require planning permission.

Positioning - decide on the most effective positioning of the camera and field of view ensuring your CCTV cameras are trained on your own property rather than that of your neighbours.

Installation/maintenance - whilst it may be possible to do this yourself, if you intend using a private company it is always a good idea to check references. Whilst most are reputable, there are still some who may use this unique opportunity to gain inside knowledge of your system.

Safety - ensure your cameras are fitted and installed correctly, securely and safely to avoid risk to either you or other members of the public

Remember - whilst it is lawful for you to monitor your own property for security purposes, you should make sure that your field of view does not extend beyond your boundaries or focused on adjacent private areas. Think about where will you position the CCTV to ensure minimal intrusion into your neighbours' and other people's privacy? Consider ways to reduce intrusion such as using privacy filters),

How will your neighbours feel about your CCTV? Ensure that you are transparent to those around you when installing your CCTV system. You can do this by informing your neighbours about your system and putting up a notice informing people that recording is taking place.

Further advice regarding domestic CCTV systems can be found at https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/home-cctv-systems/

For the latest crime prevention advice visit: www.westmercia.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/