Introduction
Closed Circuit Television Systems (CCTV S) are installed in St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. Their operation will be reviewed regularly in consultation with staff, the BOM and the parents' association.
Purpose of Policy
The purpose of this policy is to regulate the use of Closed Circuit Television and its associated technology in the monitoring of the external environs of the premises under the remit of the BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. (The Data Controller). CCTV systems are installed externally in the premises for the purpose of enhancing security of the building and its associated equipment as well as creating a mindfulness among the occupants, at any one time, that a surveillance security system is in operation in the external environs of the premises during both the daylight and night hours each day. CCTV surveillance at the School is intended for the purposes of:
- promoting and ensuring the health and safety of staff, pupils and visitors;
- protecting the school buildings and school assets, both during and after school hours;
- reducing the incidence of crime and anti-social behaviour (including theft and vandalism);
- supporting An Garda Síochána in a bid to deter and detect crime;
- assisting in identifying, apprehending and prosecuting offenders;
Scope
This policy relates directly to the location and use of CCTV and the monitoring, recording and subsequent use of such recorded material. Where e classes and activities are carried out off site, St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. will ensure that CCTV systems, where installed, are operated only in a way that is compatible with the provisions of this policy.
General Principles
The BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S., as the corporate body has a statutory responsibility for the protection of its property, equipment and as well providing a sense of security to its employees, students and invitees to its premises.
The BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S., as the corporate body has a statutory responsibility for the protection of its property, equipment and as well providing a sense of security to its employees, students and invitees to its premises. The BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. owes a duty of care under the provisions of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated legislation and utilises CCTV systems and their associated monitoring and recording equipment as an added mode of security and surveillance for the purpose of enhancing the quality of life of the school community by integrating the best practices governing the public and private surveillance of its premises
The use of the CCTV system will be conducted in a professional, ethical and legal manner and any diversion of the use of CCTV security technologies for other purposes is prohibited by this policy e.g. CCTV will not be used for monitoring employee performance
Information obtained through the CCTV system may only be released when authorised by the Principal, following consultation with the Chairperson of the BOM. Any requests for CCTV recordings/images from An Garda Síochána will be fully recorded and legal advice from the data protection commissioner/legal advice will be sought if any such request is made. (See "Access" below)
CCTV monitoring of public and indoor areas for security purposes will be conducted in a manner consistent with all existing policies adopted by the school, including the provisions set down in equality and other educational and related legislation
This policy prohibits monitoring based on the characteristics and classifications contained in equality and other related legislation e.g. race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, etc.
Information obtained in violation of this policy may not be used in a disciplinary proceeding against an employee of the school.
All CCTV systems and associated equipment will be required to be compliant with this policy following its adoption by the BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. Recognisable images captured by CCTV systems are personal data. They are therefore subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018.
Justification For Use Of CCTV
Data Protection legislation requires that data is "adequate, relevant and not excessive" for the purpose for which it is collected. This means that the BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. needs to be able to justify the obtaining and use of personal data by means of a CCTV system. The use of CCTV to control the perimeter of the school buildings for security purposes has been deemed to be justified by the BOM. The system is intended to capture images of intruders or of individuals damaging property or removing goods without authorisation CCTV systems will not be used to monitor normal teacher/student classroom activity in school
Location of Cameras
The BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. has endeavoured to select locations for the installation of CCTV cameras which are least intrusive to protect the privacy of individuals. Cameras placed so as to record external areas are positioned in such a way as to prevent or minimise recording of passers-by or of another person's private property
CCTV Video Monitoring and Recording of Communal Areas in St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. may include the following:
Protection of school buildings and property: The building's perimeter, entrances and exits, foyer and corridors.
Monitoring of Access Control Systems: Monitor and record restricted access areas at entrances to buildings and other areas
Verification of Security Alarms: Intrusion alarms, exit door controls, external alarms
Criminal Investigations (carried out by An Garda Síochána): Robbery, burglary and theft surveillance
Covert Surveillance
St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. will not engage in covert surveillance.
Where An Garda Síochána requests to carry out covert surveillance on school premises, such covert surveillance may require the consent of a judge. Accordingly, any such request made by An Garda Síochána will be requested in writing and the school will seek Data Protection Commissioner/legal advice.
Notification - Signage
The Principal will provide a copy of this CCTV Policy on request to staff, students, parents and visitors to the school. This policy describes the purpose and location of CCTV monitoring, a contact number for those wishing to discuss CCTV monitoring and guidelines for its use. The location of CCTV cameras will also be indicated to the BoM. Adequate signage will be placed at each location in which a CCTV camera is sited to indicate that CCTV is in operation.
CCTV
WARNING
CCTV cameras in operation
Images are being monitored and recorded for the purpose of the safety of our staff and students, crime prevention, the prevention of anti-social behaviour, the prevention of bullying, and for the protection of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. and its property. This system will be in operation 24 hours a day, every day. These images may be passed to An Garda Síochána.
This system is controlled by the Board of Management of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S.
For more information contact the School principal on 042 9334920
Appropriate locations for signage will include: at entrances to premises i.e. external doors, school gates reception area
Storage and Retention
Data Protection legislation states that data "shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for "the purposes for which it was obtained. A data controller needs to be able to justify this retention period. For a normal CCTV security system, it would be difficult to justify retention beyond a month (28 days), except where the images identify an issue - such as a break-in or theft and those particular images/recordings are retained specifically in the context of an investigation/prosecution of that issue
Accordingly, the images captured by the CCTV system will be retained for a maximum of 28 days, except where the image identifies an issue and is retained specifically in the context of an investigation/ prosecution of that issue
The images/recordings will be stored in a secure environment with a log of access kept. Access will be restricted to authorised personnel. Supervising the access and maintenance of the CCTV System is the responsibility of the BOM. The Principal may delegate the administration of the CCTV System to another staff member. In certain circumstances, the recordings may also be viewed by other individuals in order to achieve the objectives set out above (such individuals may include An Garda Síochána, the Deputy Principal, other members of the teaching staff, representatives of the Department of Education and Skills, representatives of the HSE and/or the parent of a recorded student). When CCTV recordings are being viewed, access will be limited to authorised individuals on a need-to-know basis.
Access
Access to the CCTV system and stored images will be restricted to authorised personnel only i.e. the Principal of the school and An Garda Síochána (upon application).
In relevant circumstances, CCTV footage may be accessed:
- By An Garda Síochána where St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. (or its agents) are required by law to make a report regarding the commission of a suspected crime; or
- Following a request by An Garda Síochána when a crime or suspected crime has taken place and/or when it is suspected that illegal/anti-social behaviour is taking place on St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. property, or
- By the HSE and/or by any other statutory body charged with child safeguarding; or
- To assist the Principal in establishing facts in cases of unacceptable student behaviour, in which case the parents/guardians will be informed; or
- To data subjects (or their legal representatives), pursuant to an access request where the time, date and location of the recordings is furnished to St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. or
- To individuals (or their legal representatives) subject to a court order
- To the school's insurance company where the insurance company requires same in order to pursue a claim for damage done to the insured property
Requests by An Garda Síochána: Information obtained through video monitoring will only be released when authorised by the Principal following consultation with the Chairperson of the BoM. If An Garda Síochána request CCTV images for a specific investigation, An Garda Síochána may require a warrant and accordingly any such request made by An Garda Síochána should be made in writing and the school should immediately seek legal advice.
Access requests: On written request, any person whose image has been recorded has a right to be given a copy of the information recorded which relates to them, provided always that such an image/recording exists i.e. has not been deleted and provided also that an exemption/prohibition does not apply to the release. Where the image/recording identifies another individual, those images may only be released where they can be redacted/ anonymised so that the other person is not identified or identifiable. To exercise their right of access, a data subject must make an application in writing to the school Principal. The school must respond within I month.
Access requests can be made to the following:
Katriona Cosgrove (Principal), St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S., Philip Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth A91
A person should provide all the necessary information to assist St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. in locating the CCTV recorded data, such as the date, time and location of the recording. If the image is of such poor quality as not to clearly identify an individual, that image may not be considered to be personal data and may not be handed over by the school.
In giving a person a copy of their data, the school may provide a still/series of still pictures, a tape or a disk with relevant images. However, other images of other individuals will be obscured before the data is released.
Responsibilities
The Principal will:
- Ensure that the use of CCTV systems is implemented in accordance with the policy set down by the BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S.
- Oversee and co-ordinate the use of CCTV monitoring for safety and security purposes within BOM of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S.
- Ensure that all existing CCTV monitoring systems will be evaluated for compliance with this policy
- Ensure that the CCTV monitoring at St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. is consistent with the highest standards and protections
- Review camera locations and be responsible for the release of any information or recorded CCTV materials stored in compliance with this policy
- Ensure that the perimeter of view from fixed location cameras conforms to this policy.
- Give consideration to both students' and staff feedback and/or complaints regarding possible invasion of privacy or confidentiality due to the location of a particular CCTV camera or associated equipment
- Ensure that all areas being monitored are not in breach of an enhanced expectation of the privacy of individuals within the school and be mindful that no such infringement is likely to take place
- Co-operate with the Health & Safety Officer of St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. in reporting on the CCTV system in operation in the school
- Ensure that external cameras are non-intrusive in terms of their positions and views of neighbouring residential housing and comply with the principle of "Reasonable Expectation of Privacy"
- Ensure that monitoring tapes/DVDs/digital recordings are stored in a secure place with access by authorised personnel only
- Ensure that images recorded on tapes/DVDs/digital recordings are stored for a period not longer than 28 days and are then erased unless required as part of a criminal investigation or court proceedings (criminal or civil) or other bona fide use as approved by the BOM
- Ensure that when a zoom facility on a camera is being used, there is a second person present with the operator of the camera to guarantee that there is no unwarranted invasion of privacy
- Ensure that camera control is solely to monitor serious in-school incidents and criminal damage etc.
- Ensure that camera control is not infringing an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy in public areas
Implementation and Review
This policy will be reviewed and evaluated from time to time. On-going review and evaluation will take cognisance of changing information or guidelines (e.g. from the Data Protection Commissioner, An Garda Síochána, Department of Education and Skills, Audit units (internal and external to the school), national management bodies, legislation and feedback from parents/guardians, students, staff and others.
The date from which the policy will apply is the date of adoption by the BOM. Implementation of the policy will be monitored by the Principal of the school.
Timetable for Review
This policy will be reviewed as a matter of course every two years. It will be amended sooner than that should legislation or National Guidelines require some amendments.
Ratification and Communication
This policy has been ratified by the Board of Management on ______________________.
Signed: __________________________________________ Date: //______ (Chairperson of Board of Management)
Signed: ___________________________________________ Date: //______
(Principal)