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CCTV In Ashford And Tenterden

CCTV Camera Locations

Ashford Privacy Impact Assessment

Tenterden Privacy Impact Assessment

CCTV Camera Locations

Ashford Privacy Impact Assessment

Tenterden Privacy Impact Assessment

Stopping crime and keeping you safe

Our CCTV system is made up of cameras around Ashford and Tenterden. Some of these are fixed, while others can zoom in, pan and tilt. All images go to our CCTV control room, the Ashford Monitoring Centre. 

By using CCTV we aim to:

  • Help detect crime by providing evidence in criminal proceedings
  • Prevent and reduce crime, public disorder and anti-social behaviour
  • Help the police track and capture people suspected of committing crime
  • Help identify witnesses
  • Support Kent Police and the Community Safety Partnership
  • Help improve the town
  • Help improve traffic management in Ashford

CCTV documentation

Individual rights

For guidance on how to obtain data about yourself which is held by Ashford Borough Council, please visit our individual rights page.

Moveable cameras

Some of our CCTV cameras are mobile so we can use them temporarily in areas of most need.

The request for deployment must be compatible with our Code of Practice and should normally cover one or more of the following circumstances:

  • Deployment is requested or supported by the Police
  • Deployment will save other costs being incurred from the public purse, e.g. in policing, security or council staff costs
  • Will provide a basis for evaluating the likely effectiveness of (a) fixed camera(s) in a given location
  • Will assist in detection and arrest of perpetrators of a spate of particular crime(s)
  • Is to respond to crime hotspots, anti social behaviour or transient problems
  • Is for emergency planning incidents and public safety
  • Is to support special police operations
  • Is to assist in the detection and prosecution of "environmental crime" e.g. fly-tipping

All applications for the deployment of movable CCTV cameras must take into consideration the council’s responsibilities under current legislation and existing CCTV Codes of Practice. Applications must also take the following requirements into consideration:

  • Justifiable – there must be adequate reason to show that the cameras are an appropriate response. This will usually be shown by evidence of repeated complaints of past incidents, or intelligence on future incidents or events
  • General – the target of the surveillance must be in a public area or against unknown offenders. If a known individual(s) is the target this becomes ‘Direct Surveillance’ and the deployment will additionally have to be authorised under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
  • Reviewable – there must be a clear time limit for the duration of the deployment and an identified process of on-going evaluation of the need for the cameras’ continued use in a specific location
  • Objective – there must be specified objectives to be achieved by the camera deployment and the achievement of these objectives should be monitored

You can see where the current deployable cameras are listed online [pdf] 184KB. You can also view the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for these cameras [pdf] 429KB.

Ashford Monitoring Centre

Ashford Borough Council has a state-of-the-art CCTV monitoring centre, the Ashford Monitoring Centre, which provides remote CCTV monitoring to both public spaces and private businesses.

We currently monitor CCTV town centre cameras in Ashford, Tenterden, Folkestone, Hythe and Dymchurch, in addition to which, we monitor private CCTV systems for tourist attractions, business parks, schools and housing schemes.

We have been looking after the people of Ashford for over 25 years and our CCTV system plays a major role in detecting and deterring crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as improving the safety and security of residents, visitors and the wider business community.

Alongside the town centre CCTV is the Town Net radio systems of Ashford and Folkestone, which link shops, pubs and clubs, all of which can call us for assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As part of the system we have access to the police radio and can contact Kent Police at a moment’s notice.

Privacy impacts assessments (PIA) have been carried out on all individual public space cameras owned by Ashford Borough Council. If you would like to see a PIA for any of the public space cameras, then please email amc.supervisors@ashford.gov.uk and they will assist.