Legal Requirement To Install Cameras To Produce Evidence

[ilkie]

I take your point TSi but I don't entirely agree.

I'd better nail my colours to the mast here, and say that I am about to do my little bit within the industry, to try and improve CCTV performance, generally.

My somewhat naive theory is that it shouldn't cost any more to do the job right, rather than to simply do the job.

It doesn't really matter whether we are talking about a little old lady with CCTV, a commercial premises or a town centre scheme, there has to be a much greater understanding of what the equipment is being used for, before the installation actually takes place.

I am somewhat at odds with some of my peers, in that it has been mentioned to me time and again that 'standards' need to be set in terms of clinical specifications, whereas my perspective is that it shouldn't be about what's written on a specification sheet, but rather what the equipment will actually do when it's installed correctly (a simple example might be using a top end 540 line camera, then sticking a grotty wide angle lens on it, and discovering it won't identify an individual at 25 metres).

Time and again, I hear the same comment from those in the know, and that is the image that will most often crack the case, is the one captured quite innocently from a more basic commercial or domestic system, that the suspect didn't even realise they had been caught on.

As an industry, I think we all have a responsibility to try and make sure that if we are providing a video surveillance installation (whether CCTV or IP Video), then it should be 'doing the biz', and that should equally apply no matter what the situation.

The vast majority of system failings are simply down to lack of knowledge, and I think now is as good as any time, to try and do something about it.

I realise this may sound like I've travelled too far up my own back passage, but after so many years of looking at cr*p, I'm now finally up for doing something about it.

Any thoughts ...

Agreed.

And lets start by identify the trade and making them responsible for their installations.

The logical route is SIA licensing.

The market for low end and poor quality kit would be dramatically reduced as the trade would grow understand the implications of fitting it.

Ilkie

[cutwitt]

I have to agree with the Dok about 'clinical specifications'. You can measure things to the nth degree but there will always be someone with a more accurate yardstick or a more objective method. You would also need to measure every conceivable parameter: measure just a few and every manufacturer will build equipment to best those criteria instead of a well rounded product.

Ultimately, video evidence is largely judged subjectively

[Doktor Jon]

You can measure things to the nth degree but there will always be someone with a more accurate yardstick or a more objective method. You would also need to measure every conceivable parameter: measure just a few and every manufacturer will build equipment to best those criteria instead of a well rounded product.

Ultimately, video evidence is largely judged subjectively