How we use your information
Aberdeen City Council collects personal data in the form of CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) images in order to:
- Reduce, prevent, investigate and detect crime.
- Promote public health, safety and wellbeing.
- Manage and maintain roads.
- Promote the efficient, convenient, and safe movement of traffic.
- Guard against unfair and unsafe trading practices.
The cameras currently in operation record activity at buildings which we own and operate such as: our housing blocks, public entertainment venues, civic locations, libraries, Council offices, and education facilities.
We also operate CCTV cameras situated in car parks and on our road infrastructure. As well as CCTV cameras, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are situated around the road network in Aberdeen. Generally, the CCTV cameras record anyone in view of the camera. ANPR cameras only record vehicle registrations. This type of camera is also used for bus lane enforcement purposes. The bus lane cameras only capture vehicles entering the bus lane into the system. For further information about this process please see our privacy notice on bus lane enforcement charge notices.
Mobile CCTV cameras may be used where there is a justification for temporary recording, for example to obtain evidence of an incident or crime. Our Community Safety Wardens may operate body worn video cameras while they are on patrol. These can be activated as required in accordance with the Council’s procedures.
We will share images with the Police as is necessary for the purposes of preventing or investigating crime or for the apprehension and prosecution of offenders. We may also share personal data with other third parties where we are required to do so by law or where we consider we have a public task duty to do so, for example to assist the investigation of crime.
On occasions where surveillance has been permitted under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000, this may result in CCTV systems being used in a covert way.
How long we keep your information for
In accordance with the Council’s CCTV procedure, we retain CCTV images for a period of up to 30 calendar days. In some instances a longer retention may be required where a law enforcement body is investigating a crime as part of an active investigation. In this instance a new retention date will be fixed for the footage.
Your rights
You have rights in relation to your data, including the right to ask for a copy of it. See the Your data page more information about all the rights you have, as well as the contact details for the Council’s Data Protection Officer. You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office if you think we haven’t handled your data properly.
Our legal basis
Aberdeen City Council is the Data Controller for the information collected by our CCTV and ANPR systems. Wherever we are processing personal information we need to make sure we have a legal basis in data protection law. Please see the table below for details of our legal bases for processing activities.
| Data processing activity | Purpose | Legal basis | Where we get our legal basis from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection of footage and images, which may include special category data and/or criminal activity. |
To reduce and prevent crime, to investigate and detect crime and to promote public health, safety and wellbeing. To guard against unfair and unsafe trading practices through our statutory functions to enforce Consumer Protection and Trading Standards legislation |
Article 6(1)(e) Undertaking our public tasks as a Local Authority Article 9(2)(g) The activity is substantially in the public interest Article 10 Exercising our functions as a Local Authority in relation to criminal activity |
The Community Empowerment Act 2015 The Data Protection Act 2018 There are a number of relevant statutes in Consumer Protection and Trading Standards legislation, the main ones are: Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 Consumer Protection Act 1987 Consumer Rights Act 2015 The Weights and Measures Act 1985 Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997 |
| Sharing footage or images with the Police and other regulatory bodies. | For the purposes of preventing or investigating crime or to aid the apprehension and prosecution of offenders | Article 6(1)(e) Undertaking our public tasks as a Local Authority |
The Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 2 Part 1 Paragraph 2 |
| Sharing of footage or images, which may include special category data, with insurers | To process insurance claims | Article 6(1)(e) Undertaking our public tasks as a Local Authority Article 9(2)(f) Processing is necessary for legal claims |
The Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1 Part 2 Paragraph 20 & Schedule 1 Part 3 Paragraph 33 |
| Sharing of footage or images with Fire and Rescue Services | To promote public health, safety and wellbeing. |
Article 6(1)(e) |
The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, sections 2, 3 and 4 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003 |
| Collection of footage via covert surveillance which may include special category personal data and/or criminal activity | Investigation where necessary to enable discharge of Council duties to prevent or detect crime or to prevent disorder, to act in the interests of public safety, to protect public health, or for another purpose prescribed by Scottish Ministers | Article 6(1)(e) Undertaking our public tasks as a Local Authority the public interest Article 9(2)(g) The task is substantially in the public interest Article 10 Exercising our functions as a Local Authority in relation to criminal activity |
The Data Protection Act 2018 Part 3 Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000, section 8 |