CCTV Surveillance Policy
| Effective Date: | January 21, 2020 |
| Downloadable Version: |
 CCTV Surveillance Policy
|
| Related Procedure(s): |
CCTV Surveillance Procedure |
| This document is available in alternate format on request. |
Purpose/Rationale:
The Humber College Institute of Technology and the University of Guelph-Humber (hereinafter referred to as “the College” or “Humber”) are committed to promote and maintain a safe and secure environment for all members of the College community. The College has a duty to regulate and document the use of video surveillance cameras, which are used to passively and actively monitor and record public areas of the College for safety and security purposes.
This Policy includes all College lands, buildings and parking lots at all College Campuses including off-site locations.
Scope:
This Policy applies to all members of the Humber community including: all students, employees, governors, contractors, suppliers of services, volunteers and visitors. This Policy also applies to external organizations that lease College space or operate on College property.
This Policy sets out the guidelines on how the College will use, collect, consider, develop, design, access and audit the use of video surveillance cameras throughout its campuses and buildings. The College’s installation, monitoring and recording of closed circuit television systems is in accordance with this Policy, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, other applicable legislation and College policies.
Definitions:
Active Monitoring: refers to continuous observation of material displayed on a video monitor.
CCTV System: refers to one or more video cameras that are connected in a closed circuit or loop, with the images being sent to a central monitor or recorded.
Digital/Video Surveillance System: refers to a video or digital surveillance system that enables continuous or periodic recording, observing or monitoring of personal information about individuals in open, public spaces.
Network Video Recorder: refers to the unit in which stores and controls the video captured via the cameras through the digital network infrastructure.
Passive Monitoring: refers to periodic observation of material displayed on a video monitor.
Personal Information: refers to recorded information about an identifiable individual.
Public Area: refers to a space open to the general public to travel through, not including washrooms.
Record: refers to any record of information, however recorded.
Storage Device: refers to a device used to store digital data or information captured by a surveillance system.
Policy:
1. Principles
1.1 The Department of Public Safety shall be the sole entity of Humber College that is responsible for the implementation and use of CCTV surveillance for the College. All CCTV cameras installed and used at the College are done so at the direction and approval of the Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management or designate.
1.2 The Department of Public Safety is committed to enhancing the quality of life of the campus community by integrating the best practices of public and private policing with state-of-the-art technology. A critical component of a comprehensive security plan using state-of-the-art technology is closed circuit television (CCTV surveillance system).
1.3 Passive and active monitoring for security purposes will be conducted in a professional, ethical and legal manner. Personnel involved in monitoring will be appropriately trained and supervised in the responsible use of this technology.
1.4 Information obtained through video monitoring will be used for internal investigations, security and law enforcement purposes. Information obtained through video monitoring will only be released to the appropriate authorities when authorized by the Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management and/or designates.
1.5 Monitoring of public areas for security purposes will be conducted in a manner consistent with all existing Humber policies and is limited to uses that do not violate an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy as defined by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, section 39(2).
1.6 Humber College shall promote and use video surveillance cameras throughout each campus building. The CCTV surveillance system is based on protecting the College’s assets from crimes against property and to assist law enforcement with investigations.
1.7 The video surveillance system is designed to protect all members of the College community from crimes against people and to deter illegal activities. CCTV surveillance will be used to limit the potential for liability for damages due to fraud, theft or inappropriate operational procedures. It should be noted that security cameras may not guarantee one’s safety but it is a valuable tool that can assist in investigative measures.
2. Responsibilities
2.1 The roles and responsibilities of the video surveillance camera program is administered and audited by the Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management or assigned designates. The Department of Public Safety is the sole authorized College department to oversee and coordinate the use of CCTV monitoring for safety and security purposes at the College.
2.2 The use of video surveillance cameras shall act as an electronic countermeasure within the College’s overall assets protection plan. The video surveillance camera portion of the plan was implemented to:
2.2.1 Assist in providing a safer campus environment through camera visualization and awareness;
2.2.2 Prevent the escalation of harmful events, incidents and minimize their impact through real time camera monitoring;
2.2.3 Assist in the aid of identification, apprehension and prosecution of offenders through camera image recording;
2.2.4 Provide a deterrent against crime and harmful events throughout the campus by image capture and real time camera image monitoring; and
2.2.5 Endeavour to remove the fear of crime through camera awareness.
2.3 The Department of Public Safety will endeavour to set and maintain the highest best practices with respect to CCTV monitoring and how it pertains to privacy laws and regulations.
2.4 This Policy and related procedure shall be reviewed annually.