cctv in shops.

[Evil Sid]

Given the number of offences reported that are currently taking place in shops. Isn't it about time that shops fitted cameras at the till to capture the faces of the alleged culprits. most tills now have touch screen displays. surely a camera could be fitted pointing at the  people queueing up at the  till at about head height.

 

nearly all the cctv images that get shown of "suspected offenders" are of either the top of peoples heads or so grainy that quasimodo himself could get away with committing a crime and not be recognized.

 

Most phones these days have better cameras than the cctv ones so fitting one to a display screen should be so easy even i could probably do it. it does not even have to capture video. just one picture at high res stored to give the staff a chance to point out the culprit would be enough.

 

by the way if any firm does decide to take up this idea. i want intellectual rights and whacking big payout for it as well. (i can dream can't i) :mrgreen:

[Bill]

All well and good Sid but this is the UK where rules, regulations and so called human rights are far more important than actually catching the criminals.

I don't know this, but a shop keeper might well end up being prosecuted if he uses a cctv without putting warning signs all over the place.

Then, even with the clearest of mug shots, some smart arsed lawyer would probably argue that the images are unlawful because the device didn't comply with some kind of British or local authority standard.

 

Bill

[Evil Sid]

But most shops have cctv already. one extra camera would not make any difference.The police have body cameras do they also have signs on their uniform saying that they have cameras if not them that surely is the same.

[Bazj]

I caught someone breaking into my car on the drive about 18 years ago with a CCTV camera that was covert and had no signs up. The cops used the evidence to prosecute him

[Evil Sid]

they have a whole tv prog along that line. called caught red handed. most of the ones shown are from un-signaged cameras. Even had a few that councils have put up to catch fly tippers.

 

have look at the one on today's frony page. http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/2016/09/28/bid-to-trace-co-op-public-order-offender/

 

should be easy to spot on the street looking like that

[Bill]

As I say i'm no expert on the matter and much is down to what I get told by others. 

Some time back I had a wallet taken from my car so living at the bottom of a cul-de-sac I thought I'd check to see if any of the neighbors had CCTV.

Turns out (or maybe) it's illegal to have a CCTV that's looking beyond your property hence they couldn't record who's coming up and down the road so no help for me there.

 

What I do know is that In Warrington, taxi and private hire drivers have always had the option to use CCTV but now the council have mandated it as a condition of their licence.

All existing CCTV devices need to be replaced with one specific device as approved by the council costing about £450 so understandably many drivers are not happy bunnies.

From what I can see, a couple of blokes sitting in some office in town made up this by law not because they are experts in this field but because they can. 

Many have suggested that mandating that only one specific CCTV device can be installed only in Warrington smacks of back handers. I'll reserve comment on that.

 

Interesting to see the reports on telly this morning about public complaints about the police dropping by 90% since the introduction of the body cam.

You have to wonder how much of this is change from the public and how much is it the officers involved ???

 

Bill

[Paul Kennedy]

Details of the approved CCTV systems for taxis: https://www.warrington.gov.uk/downloads/file/10952/april_newsletter_2015

[Bazj]

So the council approve 1 supplier in Warrington and two others....1 in Reading and the other in Cornwall???? I wonder how many Warrington taxis have had the CCTV fitted in Cornwall

[Dizzy]

So the council approve 1 supplier in Warrington and two others....1 in Reading and the other in Cornwall???? I wonder how many Warrington taxis have had the CCTV fitted in Cornwall

Maybe you need to read the linked document again Baz as it clearly stated that the Reading and Cornwall companies will come down and fit their CCTV packages here in Warrington (at any location subject to

parking access and health and Safety, or it not possible the have locations a stones throw from Warrington that they can do it 

 

All 3 approved suppliers seem blummin' expensive though considering it's just for 1 or 2 fitted cameras in a taxi with encrypted data storage. 

 

Others must surely be able to beat those prices easily using the same sort of equipment but without being 'approved suppliers' those are out of the equation.   Seems very wrong to me.

 

I wonder what's the cheapest you or me could fit the same category of cctv in our own cars for and how much it would cost us.  Any idea ?

[Dizzy]

Getting back on topic though re shops....I think yours about having camera on tills is a great idea Evil Sid and I wonder why shops haven't thought of building that facility into their tills and software already.

Imagine the scene..a rather dodgy or threatening/aggressive customer and the till operator just presses a screen button and all is recorded if they come to to thill.  It could also give a time stamp to aid searching through shops main cctv recordings too if needed for further evidence. 

Like already said we all all on CCTV when we are in shops anyway and most other places so having one on the tills would not infringe on our privacy or rights........well sound recording might....so rule that one out as I;d hate some of my conversations to be recorded :lol: