General CCTV privacy notice

The Council uses CCTV and surveillance system images for the prevention and detection of crime, public safety, to monitor the Council’s buildings in order to provide a safe and secure environment for staff, volunteers, contractors, and visitors, and to prevent the loss of or damage to the Council’s contents and property. This privacy notice tells you what to expect when we collect personal information about you.

This notice should be read in conjunction with our global privacy notice and CCTV Policy and when appropriate, we will provide a “just in time” notice to cover any additional processing activities not mentioned in this notice.

In this notice

How we get your information

We get information about you from the following sources:

  • Static and moving CCTV images
  • Liaison with partner agencies (e.g. the Police)

CCTV footage may be used for the following purposes:

  • To help reduce the fear of crime and to provide a safe and secure environment for residents and visitors.
  • The help deter and detect crime and provide evidential material for court proceedings.
  • To assist in the overall management of the Council.
  • To assist in the management of the Council’s housing stock.
  • To assist in the management of other locations and buildings owned or controlled by the Council.
  • To enhance community safety, including the prevention and detection of harassment, to assist in developing the economic well-being of the Southampton area and encourage greater use of the city centre.
  • To assist the local authority in their enforcement and regulatory functions within the Southampton area.
  • To assist in traffic management and encourage safer and more sustainable use of all modes of transport, and provide travel information to the media and public.
  • To assist in supporting civil proceedings.
  • To identify breaches of tenancy terms and to supply evidence to support enforcement action, this may include civil proceedings.
  • To assist the Council in discharging its health and safety obligations towards staff
  • To investigate allegations of staff misconduct

What personal data we process and why

The information we process about you will fall within the following categories:

  • Personal details, including any information that identifies the data subject and their personal characteristics
  • Information about your vehicle (e.g. Vehicle Registration numbers)

Information relating to your health and wellbeing and other special category data

We do not deliberately set out to capture any special category personal data. However, cameras may incidentally record information which may fall within these categories. Additionally, camera footage may be used as evidence regarding criminal offences or related security measures.

Lawful basis for processing your personal data

Depending on the service, we rely on the following lawful basis for processing your personal data under the UK GDPR:

  • Article 6(1)(c) to comply with our legal obligations around health and safety
  • Article 6(1)(e) for the performance of our public tasks around crime prevention, public safety, and functions related to our strategies, plans, and policies.

How long we keep your personal data

It varies between systems, but footage is generally retained on cameras for around 31 days.

Footage may be downloaded and stored for evidential purposes, or as part of a Subject Access Request made by individuals captured by the footage.

Any downloaded footage will be retained in line with the council’s Retention Schedule.

Data sharing

In performing this service, it may be necessary for us to share some of your personal data with external organisations or internal departments. We may share information with the following types of organisations:

  • Business and Community partners, such as Go!Southampton
  • Trade Organisations
  • Central Government Departments
  • Fire Services
  • Ombudsmen and Regulatory Authorities
  • Police and other law enforcement agencies
  • Insurance Companies and Agents
  • Solicitors and Legal Representatives.
  • Contractors and Commissioned Providers

In some circumstances, such as under a court order, we are legally obliged to share information, and we may also share information with the Police and other enforcement agencies for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, detection, or prosecution of criminal offences.

We may also share information where it is necessary to do so for the purpose of, or in connection with, legal proceedings.

We may also share information internally, in order to verify or confirm your personal details, to ensure our records are accurate and up-to-date. Data held by this service will only be used by other internal departments or services when we are satisfied there is a lawful basis for doing so, and that is it fair.

Do we use any data processors?

Data processors are third parties who provide certain parts of our services for us. We have contracts in place with them and they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do so. Our current data processors for this service are listed below.

Data Processor

Purpose

Privacy Notice

Balfour Beatty (“CityWatch)

To operate the central CCTV control room and other CCTV systems on behalf of the Council

https://www.balfourbeatty.com/services/privacy/

Transfers of personal data

No data is transferred overseas as part of this service.

Automated decision making

No automated decision making takes place as part of this service.

Further information

You may be filmed by CCTV which is owned and operated by the landlords or owners of the buildings in which our offices are situated. Southampton City Council is not the data controller for this information.