CCTV Installation guidelines
This main aim of this document is to
provide clear guidance to non-technical users wishing to buy a CCTV system that
is fit for purpose. It closely
follows the recommendations in the Home Office
Publication no 55/06 - CCTV Operational Requirements Manual. If more detailed information is required, can
be downloaded from:
First
of all, ask yourself these basic questions:
- Why do you want CCTV?
- What do you want to achieve from a system?
- What is the purpose of it?
- Will the performance achieve your expectations?
There are four key stages when
planning the installation of a CCTV system:
- Level 1 – Operational Requirement – This is your statement of overall security needs
- Level 2 - Operational Requirement – Define your requirements for CCTV
- Technical Specification – obtain a Detailed CCTV system specification
- System Commissioning and Validation – Assess performance of the installed CCTV system
Stage 1: Define the problem
This is the security threat, safety
issue or other vulnerability that you are experiencing. Consider at this point whether the
installation of a CCTV system is the most appropriate response to these
concerns, or if there are alternative options.
Professional advice should be sought at this stage, from a qualified Police
Crime Reduction Advisor, or other suitably qualified individual. This stage is known as Level 1 of the
operational requirement, your statement of overall security need.
Stage 2: Define the requirement for CCTV
This is the most important stage as
the purpose of it is to provide a guide through the process from the decision
“I need CCTV” to the commissioning of an effective system. The first and most important question to be
addressed with any CCTV system is “what do I need to see?” and “why do I need
to see it?” It is during this stage that the Level 2 of the operational requirement
should be discussed fully with all stakeholders and completed. There are step-by-step guides available
further on in this document. Following
each step will produce a clear operational requirement that can be passed to a
manufacturer or supplier, and it will help them to design a system around your
needs, and that will be fit for purpose.
Maintenance, management, monitoring and legal issues should also be
considered in this stage.
Stage 3: Obtain a detailed technical specification
There are four things that your system may need to do:
·
Monitor
·
Detect
·
Recognise
·
Identify
Your supplier will need to provide a
system that can do these things, using suitable equipment. For example, transmission method (how the
images get from the camera to the monitor), type of camera, image quality,
frame rates, display monitors, lighting, recording and storage capacity.
Stage 4: Install the system and assess
performance
When the cameras have been
commissioned, the final step in the process is to check that all of the
functions specified in the operational requirement document have been met by
the system. A user manual should be
supplied and the system should be set up correctly and tested. In particular, you should test:
·
Camera’s
field of view
·
Live
and recorded image quality
·
Storage
time provided by the system
·
Operation
of the alarms and motion detection features
Use the
step-by-step guide on the next page, and you can achieve all the stages you
need to get a CCTV system that is fit for purpose, and suits YOUR needs.
Step 1: Complete your operational requirements checklist
Before focusing on the requirement for
the CCTV system itself, some thought should be given to the nature of the
problem or threat that needs to be resolved.
The statement of the overall security need is known as the Level
1 Operational requirement. The
completion of a ‘check list’ should help to ensure that the strategic
issues are analysed first and that the most appropriate solution is arrived at,
even if this requires options other than
CCTV to be considered. CCTV
should form part of the total security
system and should not be used on its own.
The first task is to draw a
site plan and mark the areas of concern.
The more detail the better. For
example, include any buildings you wish to survey, specific streets, parks or
playgrounds, entrances, exits, car parking and anything else that needs to be
viewed. Once the site plan has been
drawn then the potential problems and/or threats can be marked on the map. Typical things that might be included are:
·
Personal
Safety members of the public
·
Burglary
to homes in the area
·
Theft
of property
·
Criminal
damage
·
Arson
·
Vehicle
crime
·
Business
Crime
·
Anti-Social
Behaviour
·
Alcohol-related
crime
Some areas may need cover for
different activities, i.e. to monitor the flow of groups of people in a town
centre setting or to identify individual people in the event of an incident.
Stakeholders
If the installation is likely to be
complex and involve several different stakeholders, then they should all be
consulted at this stage and asked to identify their requirements on the site
plan. This may be only relevant if it is
a shared system with other service users in the same building, or a joint
venture with different community groups etc.
Some examples are Schools, Police, PFI partners, Local Authority,
residents associations, community groups etc.
Once
it has been determined that there is a requirement for CCTV as the most
effective solution to tackle the problems, then you are ready to further
develop your operational requirement.
Step 2: Use the supplied checklist
Fill the boxes in on the checklist to
further define the problems and develop your requirements. Repeat a box for each problem identified in
the site plan.
A completed specimen checklist is
included to guide you, but please note they are only suggestions, you should
include all problems you anticipate,
or have experienced in the past, and what will affect the security of the
target area.
Fill these sections below on the
checklist:
Location The area that you want to see
with the camera.
Be specific.
Activity The crimes or trouble
that you associate with this area. What
incidents do you need to see with the camera?
Purpose
of observation How much detail do you need
from the image?
Target
speed Will the target or subject
be running, walking, stationary or a combination of these?
You can find
blank checklists in the appendix to this document to help you. On the next page is an example of a completed
checklist.
Define the problem
|
Location:
Perimeter
|
Location:
Car Park
|
Location:
Entrance Gate
|
Location:
School Building
|
Location:
|
Location:
|
|
Activity:
Damage to fence
Intruders both during and out of school hours
|
Activity:
Theft
Vandalism
Personal Safety
|
Activity:
Monitor access to the school
|
Activity:
Burglaries
Vandalism
Arson
|
Activity:
|
Activity:
|
|
Purpose
of Observation:
Recognise
Monitor
Detect
|
Purpose
of Observation:
Identify
Recognise
Monitor
Detect
|
Purpose
of Observation:
Identify
|
Purpose
of Observation:
Identify
Recognise
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
|
Target
Speed:
Walking
Running
Stationary
Variable
|
Target
Speed:
Walking
Running
Stationary
Variable
|
Target
Speed:
Stationary
|
Target
Speed:
Variable
|
Target
Speed:
|
Target
Speed:
|
Once you have defined the problem
areas, you should consider operational issues such as viewing and recording the
images etc. Filling in the boxes will
help you cover all the issues. Again,
these are only suggestions; you should include details of your particular
situation, available staff to view and manage the images, and available space
for equipment (display monitor, video/dvd recorder) etc.
Operational issues – who
will need to monitor the images, and what should they do in the event of an
incident?
|
Who monitors:
Reception Staff
Site Manager
Trained CCTV Staff
|
When is it monitored:
School hours
Occasional
24/7
|
Where monitored:
School Office
Remote CCTV control room
|
Response:
Contact Head Teacher
Continue monitoring
Contact City Watch
Contact Police
|
System requirements – what
type of equipment will you need to be able to do what you need with the system?
|
Alert functions:
Visual – by sight
Audible – alarm indicator
PIR – activated out of hours
Motion detection
|
Displays:
Type of VDU
Number
Size
|
Recording:
Retention time
Image Quality
Frame Rate
|
Export/Archive:
Video export facilities
3rd party access
Replay software
|
Management issues – how
will you comply with regulations and maintain the system for problem free
operation?
|
Constraints:
Regulation – code of practice
SIA licensing
OFCOM Compliance
|
Legal Issues:
Data Protection Act
Freedom of Information Act
|
Maintenance:
Cleaning, repairs, upgrades, warranties,
product life cycle
|
Resources:
Staff, training, accommodation,
consumables
Will these need extra costs?
|
For further information on regulations
see the Security Industry Authority www.the-sia.org.uk
For further information on legal
issues see the Information Commissioner’s Office www.ico.gov.uk
Step 3 – Give the
information to your CCTV consultant or supplier.
If you have completed all the steps so
far as fully as you can, now you are ready to order a system. They will need this information to design a
system that is fit for purpose and suitable to your needs. Don’t be put of by the technical jargon, you
can ask them for advice to help you with technical issues, and more detailed information
can also be found in the complete manual (mentioned at the beginning
of this document), which can be downloaded from:
Also included in this document is
information on UK
Police requirements for digital CCTV systems.
This details the areas that must be considered for CCTV recordings to be
effective in detecting and investigating crime.
Ongoing maintenance
This is very important to ensure the
continuing success of your system. You
have spent a lot of money on your CCTV system; it is essential to keep it
maintained and in full working order.
You wouldn’t expect a car to run without regular servicing or MOT, a
CCTV system is the same. It is also
useful to be specific when negotiating your maintenance contract with
the supplier. It is easy to rely on the
first years guarantee, but often this does not
specify when the contractor is obliged to attend. If your risk is high and you need someone to
attend within 24 hours, then specify this.
If the risk is low, and you could wait 48 hours, then specify this. Check what they offer as a standard maintenance
agreement and work from this. This will
save you time negotiating when you need them, and avoid chasing them up later
Remember that you
are the customer! The company or
consultant need to provide you with a system that you have asked for, and that
you can use.
|
This is the final step in the process;
you should check that all of the functions that you specified in the
operational requirements checklist have been met by the installed system. A user manual should be supplied and you
should check that the system has been set up correctly. This
is very important, it is not uncommon that there may be a few teething
troubles with your new system.
You should now be ready to use your
system with confidence, try and spend time getting to know what it can do and
how it can make your life easier. If you
have any concerns, do not hesitate to call your supplier so they can clarify
any issues as they arrive.
Finally, CCTV should not be seen as a
magic wand to eliminate all crime. It is
just one of many tools that can be used to reduce crime, if used
correctly. Security is a vital issue for
any organisation and should be reviewed continually. Also included at the end of this document are
some general security guidelines for reviewing and updating your security
plans.
Appendices
Example of a site plan:
Blank Checklists:
UK Police Requirements for
digital CCTV systems:
Blank ‘OR’ checklist:
Define the problem
|
Location:
|
Location:
|
Location:
|
Location:
|
Location:
|
Location:
|
|
Activity:
|
Activity:
|
Activity:
|
Activity:
|
Activity:
|
Activity:
|
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
Purpose
of Observation:
|
|
Target
Speed:
|
Target
Speed:
|
Target
Speed:
|
Target
Speed:
|
Target
Speed:
|
Target
Speed:
|
Operational issues – who
will need to monitor the images, and what should they do in the event of an
incident?
|
Who monitors:
|
When is it monitored:
|
Where monitored:
|
Response:
|
System requirements – what
type of equipment will you need to be able to do what you need with the system?
|
Alert function:
|
Displays:
|
Recording:
|
Export/Archive:
|
Management issues – how
will you comply with regulations and maintain the system for problem free
operation?
|
Constraints:
|
Legal Issues:
|
Maintenance:
|
Resources:
|
Site plan:
.
Reviewing security
Whether you are creating, reviewing, or updating your security plans, keep
these key points in mind:
·
carry out a risk assessment to decide on the threats you
might be facing and their likelihood. Identify your vulnerabilities and the
potential impact of exploitation.
·
if acquiring or extending premises, consider security at
the planning stage. It will be
cheaper and more effective than adding measures later.
·
make security awareness part of your organisation’s
culture and ensure security is represented at a senior level.
·
ensure good basic housekeeping throughout your premises.
Keep public areas tidy and well-lit, remove unnecessary furniture and keep
garden areas clear.
·
keep access points to a minimum and issue staff and
visitors with passes.
·
install appropriate physical measures such as locks,
alarms, CCTV surveillance, complementary lighting and glazing protection.
·
when recruiting staff or hiring contractors, check
identities and follow up references.
consider how best to protect your information and take
proper IT security precautions. Examine your methods for disposing of
confidential waste.
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