Using CCTV at home

Regardless of whether your use of CCTV falls within data protection laws, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recommends you use it responsibly, to protect the privacy of others.

Firstly, ask yourself whether using CCTV at your home is the best way to improve security. Then consider:

• Do I really need CCTV?
• Are there other things I could use to protect my home, such as better lighting?
• What is the most privacy-friendly way to set up the system?
• What areas do I want the cameras to capture?
• Can I position the cameras to avoid intruding on my neighbours’ property or any shared or public spaces?
• Do I need to record the images, or is a live feed enough?
• Has my CCTV system got an audio-recording facility; can I disable this, since it's very privacy intrusive?

Improving home security without CCTV

To safeguard you and your property against crime, without using domestic CCTV:

• get police advice about crime prevention (including local neighbourhood advice for 'York Inner' policing area and 'York Outer' policing area)
• improve locks
• add security lighting
• install an alarm system

These steps may be more effective and less expensive ways of securing your property, without using a surveillance system.

Installing CCTV at home

If you decide to use CCTV you must consider:

• what areas need to be covered
• whether your cameras need to capture images beyond the boundary of your property
• what 'data controller' records you may need to maintain, and how to make information available to the ICO upon request

Remember, if your cameras don’t capture images beyond your boundary, CCTV data protection laws won’t apply to you.

Also see

• CCTV in York
• Streets, roads and pavements
• Report a street, road or pavement problem