All correspondence between the Metropolitan Police Service and The Sun newspaper regarding CCTV cameras in the Westminster Council area.

Transcription

1 Freedom of Information Request Reference No: I note you seek access to the following information: All correspondence between the Metropolitan Police Service and The Sun newspaper regarding CCTV cameras in the Westminster Council area. DECISION I have disclosed the located information for you: Please find attached two Portable Document Format (PDF) in which the requested information has been provided. The attached documents shows two trails (which are largely similar) between The Sun newspaper and the MPS Press Bureau regarding CCTV cameras in the Westminster Council area. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in the Metropolitan Police Service. Information Rights Unit

2 From: Press Bureau Sent: 06 November :47 To: 'Shammas, John' Subject: RE: THE SUN - Request for comment John, I have asked for an update by the project team. In the meantime, these are the lines we had up to June of this year: The Metropolitan Police Service has been working closely with the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime and Westminster City Council on a long-term solution to enable a digital CCTV system to be implemented across the borough. Westminster is unique due to its many high-profile sites, iconic buildings and the millions of tourists and visitors it attracts each year. It is important it has a modern CCTV system for the reassurance of visitors, residents and businesses and to fight crime. That work is progressing apace and Westminster City Council has provided a grant to the MPS that will pay for the cameras and installation. The MPS will be responsible for the operation and ongoing maintenance of the system. A total of 64 modern digital cameras will be installed and a review has determined the most effective locations to ensure optimum coverage. Locations for cameras have been carefully identified based on critical infrastructure, ie those buildings essential to the running of the borough, policing and management of demonstrations and those with the greatest risk of criminal offences. The cameras will record 24 hours a day and have the facility for monitoring. At this stage the system will be monitored by police for high profile events and operations and as the need arises but the MPS is also exploring options for establishing wider monitoring arrangements. There is no specific date for when the new system will be operational but everyone's priority is to get the new cameras up-and-running as soon as possible. As cameras are fitted they will be switched on rather than waiting for the whole system to come online. The borough is also covered by many other CCTV systems, including those run by Transport for London and private businesses. Police also have the ability to deploy temporary CCTV systems for specific operational needs. Sent: 06 November :58 Just spoke to Westminster Council. They say they handed over responsibility to the Met to manage their CCTV network in January this year, as it was "better placed in their hands". The press officer added that when it was handed over, the systems were on.

3 Due to this, are we able to get a comment from the Met on the CCTV as it's the crux of our story? On 6 November 2017 at 14:17, <DMC-Mailbox-.PressBureau-DMC@met.pnn.police.uk> wrote: Sorry John, I meant to address that. The CCTV question is for Westminster Council, as they control it. Sent: 06 November :12 Thanks - just to clarify, does The Met have any comment to make re the CCTV cameras being "switched off"? On 6 November 2017 at 13:20, <DMC-Mailbox-.PressBureau-DMC@met.pnn.police.uk> wrote: Hi John, Please find some information below. Police were called at 18:42hrs on Friday, 3 November to reports of a disturbance in Oxford Street, W1. Officers attended and spoke to all five parties involved, who all declined for the incident to be investigated further. No injuries were reported. No arrests were made. Any complaint submitted to the Met will be reviewed by the Directorate of Professional Standards. Sent: 06 November :42 Subject: THE SUN - Request for comment Hello, This is John from The Sun, A woman who says she was assaulted on Friday at about 7pm on Oxford Street while shopping with her daughter has got in touch.

4 She says she was assaulted by a family after her daughter bumped into them and got involved in a row. She has sent us photos of her injuries/hair from her daughter that was pulled out. Two police officers at the scene spoke to her + the family she says attacked them, but heard disputing stories from both parties. She has made a formal complaint about the way that the officers handled the issue. The main thing for our story is this - They told her the CCTV on Oxford Street had been "turned off". Security guards working there told her this as well. She makes the point that given the terror threat at the moment, it's incredible that CCTV cameras could be turned off on one of the UK's busiest streets. We'd like a comment on this, and our deadline is 4pm. Her complaint reference is XXXXXXXXXXXXX -- John Shammas News Reporter The Sun Online

5 -----Original Message----- From: Press Bureau Sent: 07 November :51 To: Subject: Oxford street CCTV The Metropolitan Police Service has been working closely with the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime and Westminster City Council on a long-term solution to enable a digital CCTV system to be implemented across the borough. Westminster is unique due to its many high-profile sites, iconic buildings and the millions of tourists and visitors it attracts each year. It is important it has a modern CCTV system for the reassurance of visitors, residents and businesses and to fight crime. That work is progressing apace and Westminster City Council has provided a grant to the MPS that will pay for the cameras and installation. The MPS will be responsible for the operation and ongoing maintenance of the system. A total of 64 modern digital cameras will be installed and a review has determined the most effective locations to ensure optimum coverage. Locations for cameras have been carefully identified based on critical infrastructure, i.e. those buildings essential to the running of the borough, policing and management of demonstrations and those with the greatest risk of criminal offences. The cameras will record 24 hours a day and have the facility for monitoring. At this stage the system will be monitored by police for high profile events and operations and as the need arises but the MPS is also exploring options for establishing wider monitoring arrangements. There is no specific date for when the new system will be operational but everyone's priority is to get the new cameras up-and-running as soon as possible. As cameras are fitted they will be switched on rather than waiting for the whole system to come online. Installation has commenced with eleven cameras now active but is complex in nature requiring a level of civil engineering to establish new lines. It is anticipated further cameras will become active before the end of the year. The borough is also covered by many other CCTV systems, including those run by Transport for London and private businesses. Police also have the ability to deploy temporary CCTV systems for specific operational needs. The previous system was switched off in January - this was a Westminster City Council decision. NFPUB Refer council for further From: Shammas, John [mailto:] Sent: 06 November :58 Just spoke to Westminster Council.

6 They say they handed over responsibility to the Met to manage their CCTV network in January this year, as it was "better placed in their hands". The press officer added that when it was handed over, the systems were on. Due to this, are we able to get a comment from the Met on the CCTV as it's the crux of our story? On 6 November 2017 at 14:17, <DMC-Mailbox-.PressBureau-DMC@met.pnn.police.uk> wrote: Sorry John, I meant to address that. The CCTV question is for Westminster Council, as they control it. Sent: 06 November :12 Thanks - just to clarify, does The Met have any comment to make re the CCTV cameras being "switched off"? On 6 November 2017 at 13:20, <DMC-Mailbox-.PressBureau-DMC@met.pnn.police.uk> wrote: Hi John, Please find some information below. Police were called at 18:42hrs on Friday, 3 November to reports of a disturbance in Oxford Street, W1. Officers attended and spoke to all five parties involved, who all declined for the incident to be investigated further. No injuries were reported. No arrests were made. Any complaint submitted to the Met will be reviewed by the Directorate of Professional Standards. Sent: 06 November :42

7 Subject: THE SUN - Request for comment Hello, This is John from The Sun, A woman who says she was assaulted on Friday at about 7pm on Oxford Street while shopping with her daughter has got in touch. She says she was assaulted by a family after her daughter bumped into them and got involved in a row. She has sent us photos of her injuries/hair from her daughter that was pulled out. Two police officers at the scene spoke to her + the family she says attacked them, but heard disputing stories from both parties. She has made a formal complaint about the way that the officers handled the issue. The main thing for our story is this - They told her the CCTV on Oxford Street had been "turned off". Security guards working there told her this as well. She makes the point that given the terror threat at the moment, it's incredible that CCTV cameras could be turned off on one of the UK's busiest streets. We'd like a comment on this, and our deadline is 4pm. Her complaint reference is XXXXXXXXXXX John Shammas News Reporter The Sun Online <