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 information

You 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.
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 access requests can be made by members of the public in relation to civil cases and unreported accidents.

Request to view CCTV images


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. Under the Data Protection Act we can charge £10 for this information but in first instance will examine our records to see if there is anything we can assist with.

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 180 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.

Deployable cameras

However, we also have a number of deployable 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 deployed in a certain location.

How to bid for a camera to be deployed

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 1998.

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.