Video Surveillance

To protect Municipal assets, employees and the public, video surveillance is used in Municipal facilities as part of a larger program that includes lighting, security patrols, and built environment design to promote public safety and security.

How does the System Work?

Cameras record video images of Municipal facilities 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The video that is recorded is stored in digital format. Recorded video is used to investigate incidents and as evidence for prosecutions. The video recordings are retained for 72 hours. The system is operated in accordance with the Video Surveillance Policy.

Privacy Protection

The Municipality recognizes the need to balance an individual’s right to privacy and the need to ensure safety and security in the community. It has designed its video surveillance program to ensure the benefits of video surveillance outweigh the loss of personal privacy. It does this by employing a number of strategies:

• Where feasible, less invasive means such as lighting and increased security patrols are employed in place of video surveillance;
• Cameras are positioned and screened to minimizes privacy intrusions;
• The retention period for recorded video is strictly limited and destruction of the video records at the end of the retention period is automated;
• The program is subject to random compliance audits.

Can I Access a Video Recording?

Video recordings are only disclosed in response to a formal access to information request under the Municipal Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The Municipality processes all access to information requests, including requests for video, in accordance with the requirements of the Act. Click here for instructions on how to file a request. Before filing a request, you should know the following:

• When making your request, you must be as specific as possible in describing the video records you are seeking. At a minimum, please provide the time, date and location where the video was recorded. The more details you are able to provide, the more likely that the video you are seeking can be located.
• The Municipality must balance your right to access Municipal records, with the privacy rights of affected individuals. In practical terms, this means that license plate numbers and the faces of identifiable individuals will be obscured (blurred or pixelated) prior to disclosure of the video records.
• The Act specifies processing fees which apply to access to information requests. You can limit fees by limiting the timeframe of the video you request. For bus video, you can also limit fees by limiting the number of camera angles you request.

Disclosure to Law Enforcement

The Municipality discloses video records to law enforcement agencies in Canada upon request, providing the records are used for the purposes of an active law enforcement investigation.

Legal Authority

Personal information collected through the recording of surveillance video is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act and the Occupier's Liability Act.

Questions or Concerns?

For more information. Contact the Clerk's Office
clerk@westperth.com
519-348-8429
169 St. David Street, Mitchell, ON