CCTV plays an increasingly important role in police operations and is an important tool in controlling public space. BTP has crime reduction officers who advise railway businesses on whether CCTV is appropriate to their needs, as well as all aspects of design, installation and management of CCTV.

Railway operators own CCTV systems. In London, the Network Rail system covers 15 mainline stations with 1,800 cameras that are continuously recording. A dedicated retrieval suite has specialist staff who manage the archiving, integrity and preservation of recordings and can help our officers retrieve and interpret the video captured. For the purpose of the release of information from CCTV under the Data Protection Act, BTP is registered with the Information Commissioner.

Over 8,500 cameras operate on the London Underground system, on stations and trains. These are managed and recorded locally. Station cameras can be viewed instantly by police control room staff. In London, BTP has set up a proactive CCTV unit based at Euston. Their role is to develop intelligence and target particular locations and suspects.

Operation Hawkeye is a system of CCTV cameras covering all 57 car parks on the London Underground system. These cameras, together with Help Points located at the car parks, are fed into three dedicated control rooms staffed by operators at Finsbury Park, Wembley Park and West Ham. Local systems operate in many outlying stations around London and in other areas across the country.

The benefits of CCTV

Real time surveillance

With some small systems, dedicated staff can provide continuous CCTV monitoring. This is not generally how cameras are used on the railways because there are too many to make this feasible or cost-effective. However, cameras are used to follow identified suspects and to monitor potentially hazardous situations.

Identification of suspects
This is probably the greatest use of CCTV. If an incident has occurred, CCTV means videos can be checked to find a likely perpetrator. Many robbery suspects are identified in this way.

Evidence in court
CCTV can also provide powerful evidence in court, but is rarely conclusive alone.

Deterrence
Visible cameras and signs advising there is CCTV coverage can help prevent crime and boost public and staff confidence.

Control
Rail operators and police use cameras to monitor crowds and passenger safety.

CCTV development

CCTV technology is improving all the time. On trains CCTV is beginning to come into its own and modern systems are digital rather than analogue. In addition, technology is being developed that includes facial recognition software and systems which can identify particular types of behaviour. There have been, and continue to be, trials involving this technology but it is still in the research and development phase.