CCTV in Brent
We use CCTV to assist with efforts to combat crime and disorder, enforce bus lane offences and moving traffic contraventions, and manage events around Wembley Stadium.
Our CCTV is recorded 24 hours a day. We keep an eye on dangerous situations, locate suspects of crime, and provide valuable support to the police, emergency services and other organisations. Our CCTV recordings can be used as evidence in court cases.
Requesting CCTV informationYou can apply for access to information held on CCTV if an investigation, prosecution or action to prevent a crime is taking place under the Police Criminal Evidence Act criteria. A member of our team will examine the images that have been requested. If you are a victim of a crime in an area where there is CCTV, please do ask if the incident was caught on camera. |
For CCTV requests regarding parking or moving traffic contraventions, please contact the parking department.
About our cameras
Permanent cameras
The Brent CCTV network consists of 191 cameras. Of these, the vast majority are permanently installed in a range of locations across the borough
Under the Surveillance Commissioner’s Code of Practice, all cameras must be deployed in support of an evidence-based need. We will constantly analyse our camera usage and decommission any cameras that do not contribute to the safety of the community. Where our cameras are not in crime hotspots they will be removed.
There is currently no funding available for the expansion of our fixed camera CCTV network.
Mobile cameras
However, we also have a number of cameras which can be moved between locations. These are more flexible and more responsive to emerging issues. Agencies such as the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, Brent Housing Partnership, or other housing associations, can bid for a camera to be placed in a certain location.
How to bid for a camera to be assigned to a location
Please contact your anti-social behaviour localities officer at community.safety@brent.gov.uk and request a deployable CCTV form.
Applications are presented to the Local Joint Action Group (LJAG). This is a monthly partnership problem-solving meeting which seeks to tackle location-based crime and disorder issues. Requests for CCTV have to be backed up with solid evidence demonstrating the scale of the issue and how CCTV will help resolve this. The group also look at crime statistics to evaluate the application.
Requests are then passed to the Mobile CCTV Committee who examine all bids and agree requests against current deployments.
Other cameras
We have agreement with Transport for London to allow us access their cameras during emergencies. We are not responsible for private CCTV cameras. We will:
- report incidents to the emergency services
- provide evidence for criminal or civil proceedings
- help detect crime by working in partnership with the Police and other law enforcement agencies
- keep traffic moving in lanes through effective monitoring
- work with the Police to disrupt potential incidents.
Data protection
Information and images captured by our CCTV cameras are protected under the Data Protection Act 2018.
In special circumstances, we will release them to the police, solicitors, statutory authorities with powers to prosecute (for example,Trading Standards) and people who appeal against fines for driving in bus lanes.
Recorded images are erased after 31 days unless there is a requirement to keep them.
Things to read
- View a map of CCTV locations in Brent
- Read our Brent CCTV strategy
- Read the national CCTV strategy
- Read the CCTV Code of Practice
- CCTV code of practice from ICO
- GOV.UK CCTV information
- Complaint Details 2016
- Surveillance Camera Code of Practice - Brent Privacy Impact Assessment
- Surveillance Camera Code of Practice - Assessment report
- Privacy notice for CCTV