Recurring concern

Unreliable police access to safety-critical CCTV information

First to latest report 18 Jan 2018 — 8 May 2024

Reports that mention this concern
2
Times this concern has been raised
2
Stated actions linked to this concern
2

What this concern includes

Includes failures of arrangements specifically governing police access to, coordination with or use of CCTV operators and CCTV information for safety, emergency response or investigation, including formal responsibilities, contact procedures, access availability and related operational guidance.

What is not included
  • Excludes generic CCTV coverage, camera positioning, monitoring or surveillance deficiencies where police access to or coordination over the CCTV information is not the identified concern.
  • Excludes CCTV systems in custody settings when the concern is the custody CCTV-monitoring system itself rather than police access to CCTV information.
  • Excludes generic inter-agency communication or governance deficiencies not specifically tied to police access to or use of CCTV information.
  • Excludes failures limited to preservation of CCTV evidence after an investigation has begun when no police-access or CCTV-operator coordination deficiency is identified.

Reports and published responses 2 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

  1. Worcestershire

    AI-generated summary

    Donna Smith · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Donna Smith was found unresponsive in Worcester city centre on 4 March 2023 and later died in hospital from acute alcohol intoxication. The report raises concerns about the lack of formal written guidance governing communication and responsibilities between the CCTV operator and West Mercia Police, which led to neither making an immediate ambulance call. It also notes that a related Memorandum of Understanding had not been formalised, creating a risk to others.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to provide formal written guidance allocating responsibilities for urgent ambulance calls

    Wider context from the report

    “(1) I heard evidence at the inquest that there was at the time of these events, and there remains now, a complete lack of formalised written policies, procedures or guidance governing the relationship between those operating CCTV cameras in Worcestershire ( as Wychavon District Council do in respect of Worcester city centre CCTV cameras ) and West Mercia Police; (2) At the inquest I found as a matter of fact that the failure by either the CCTV operator or the police communications officer to call the ambulance service immediately after their call over Airwaves, and their lack of understanding over whose responsibility it was to make such a call, arose substantially because of this lack of formal written guidance; (3) Furthermore, I heard evidence that despite Ms. Smith’s death having occurred over 12 months ago, a draft Memorandum of Understanding between West Mercia Police and those operating CCTV cameras in Worcestershire had not yet been completed or formalised, but rather was still “being drawn up”. For all of the above reasons, I am concerned that unless action is taken to formalise the relationship between those operating CCTV cameras in Worcestershire and West Mercia Police, and to provide proper guidance setting out their respective responsibilities in situations such as this, there is a risk that other deaths may occur in the future. ”

    Source location

    Donna Smith · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Implement the revised CCTV-to-police communication procedure, replacing Airwave contact with telephony and recording calls, triage decisions, attendance decisions and agency responsibility.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The incident was investigated separately by the IOPC, having been referred by West Mercia Police, resulting in a recommendation that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) should be agreed between the Local Policing Area and Local Authority CCTV Centres. Part of the development of that MOU includes the withdrawal of Airwave Radio from CCTV rooms in recognition that this may not be the most appropriate way for them to communicate with West Mercia's Public Contact Centre. As a result of the removal of the ability for CCTV to contact the police via Airwaves, we now receive all contact from them via telephony. This allows for the automatic creation of a Contact Record on receipt of their call whereupon any decision around police attendance and the Most Appropriate Agency (MAA) Policy will follow the TRIAGE process.”

    Source location

    Response from West Mercia Police
    Page 1 · response
    Published 20 May 2024

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Implement a CCTV incident-response process requiring operators to call 999, route serious incidents to appropriate emergency services, obtain reference numbers, and record police contact details.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Therefore, I have considered the letter sent by Alex Murray on behalf of West Mercia on 2 July and would put forward the following as the process to be followed by Wychavon District Council CCTV operators. This process has the aim to close the gap in communication between the agencies and reduce the likelihood of a similar situation happening again. In addition, it provides a means for a formal record to be set up by using the 999 communications channel following the removal of Airwave Radio from CCTV rooms in line with Police policy.”

    Source location

    2024-0264 - Response from Wychavon District Council
    Page 1 · response
    Published 20 May 2024

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    The outlined procedure is considered robust enough to prevent similar incidents and is fully embedded within the Public Contact Centre.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “I am keen to ensure that all necessary action is taken to prevent other families from experiencing such tragic loss in similar circumstances and am assured that the procedure outlined above is robust enough to meet that aim and fully embedded within the Public Contact Centre. I do recognise that there may be a disadvantage with CCTV operators not having access to Airwave and I will keep the policy under review.”

    Source location

    Response from West Mercia Police
    Page 2 · response
    Published 20 May 2024

    Open published response

  2. West Sussex

    AI-generated summary

    Paul Lawrence Hanton · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Paul Hanton was an informal patient at Langley Green Mental Health Hospital when he absconded during an escorted walk on 18 April 2016. Eight days later, he jumped in front of a train at Kings Cross Underground Station and died from head injuries. The principal concerns included the information provided during the missing-person call, delays and gaps in police action, inaccessible hospital CCTV, and differing responses to informal and sectioned patients assessed as being at high risk of self-harm or suicide.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Unavailability of hospital CCTV for police viewing

    Wider context from the report

    “2) Langley Green to ensure that hospital CCTV is accessible at all times for police viewing. ”

    Source location

    Paul Lawrence Hanton · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 4 · concerns

    Open source report

Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.

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Data last updated 7 September 2026