CCTV in Brent

Our CCTV network is active 24 hours a day and can be used to:

• deter anti-social behaviour
• disrupt and prevent street crime
• gather evidence for court proceedings
• identify persons wanted by the police
• emergency planning
• enforce bus lane offences and moving traffic contraventions
• manage events around Wembley Stadium.

These activities are carried out in accordance with:

• Data Protection Act 1998
• Freedom of Information Act 2000
• Information Commissioner’s Office
• CCTV Code of Practice
• Brent Council CCTV strategy

If you have been a victim of a crime in an area where there is CCTV, please do ask if the incident was caught on camera. You can use our online map of permanent CCTV cameras to check our CCTV locations.

If you have been involved in an incident (eg involved in a road traffic collision) within the last 31 days and wish to make a request, you can apply for access to information held on CCTV.

Payment for CCTV footage

Payments are required for Third-party data CCTV requests only. There are two types of payment required, one for searching for CCTV footage and another for supplying CCTV footage

Before you request CCTV footage

To search against our recorded CCTV data we need some initial information from you.

When you make your request, you need to provide:

• the type of request
• your contact details
• the date and time of the incident
• detailed location, including road and building names. It can be helpful to share a map or directions with us. To include a map link in your enquiry go to www.google.co.uk/maps and follow these instructions from Google about sharing a location.
• confirmation of client details, their authorisation and reasons to request CCTV (if third party is applying on behalf of).

We will make the initial search based on the information you give us and get back to you with details of what to do next, if something is found.

Under the Surveillance Commissioner’s Code of Practice, all cameras must be deployed in support of an evidence-based need. We constantly analyse our camera usage and remove any cameras that do not contribute to the safety of the community.

Permanent cameras

The Brent CCTV network consists of 300 cameras. Of these, the vast majority are permanently installed in a range of locations across the borough.

Mobile cameras

We have a number of 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 placed in a certain location.

Other cameras

We have an agreement with Transport for London to allow us access their cameras during emergencies. We are not responsible for private CCTV cameras.

Camera locations

Request for CCTV cameras can only be made by the police or other statutory community safety partners.

When completing the form, you will need to provide solid evidence demonstrating the scale of the issue and explain how you think a CCTV camera will help resolve this.

There is currently no funding available for the expansion of our fixed camera CCTV network.

What happens next

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. The group will look at the the evidence and at crime statistics to evaluate the application.

Requests are then passed to the Mobile CCTV Committee who examine all bids and decide which ones are successful.

Information and images captured by our CCTV cameras are protected under the Data Protection Act 2018.

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.