Police cctv on communal flats

[Joe1uk 0]

I'd like some advice please.

I live in a flat with open communal grounds, gardens, parking, garages. We've had damage done to the porch building and are constantly having to breath second hand weed smoke. I've complained as have the neighbours and as far as i know these youths have now moved on.

However yesterday a team turned up and proceeded to install ducting for a cctv right outside my lounge window watching the back door and my van. Whilst i welcome the security I'm annoyed because no one has said a single word about it. I've objected to it being installed without consultation of all neighbours that will be affected by it being in a communal area. I've been ignored. NWBC called the police in case i try to stop the work men. NWBC fobbed me off and told me there's no one in until monday that can deal with it. Police say it WILL go up and when i say it won't without consulting me they say 'we'll see about that'

I don't object to the camera being there, i object to attitudes of the people and lack of communication, consultation.

This morning the sparks have come to install the supply and will probably fit the camera.

I know a bit about the regulations but haven't read them for a while. Does anyone know of any rules which apply?

[mimilovell 0]

I would suggest speaking to the rest of the tenants in your block and put a petition together regarding lack of communication, and what you want in the future.

[buellwinkle 0]

You sound British and isn't that the part of the world that has the most surveillance cameras per capita in the world? In the U.S. if you are a tenant, you do not typically have much say in portion of the building that is not for your exclusive use. You can complain if there's a chance some of the video captures your private space or violates the personal space of others. In the U.S., you can record anything visible in public except spaces considered private like a bathroom.

 

Is weed legal in the U.K.? It's legal in most of the U.S. (26 out of 50 states permit Marijuana use for medicinal purposes, 2 for recreational use) so it's a tough battle for flats, condos. You can't prevent people from smoking weed if you allow smoking in general so recently in one building where we have a weekend place, they now disallow all smoking. At public spaces, say at a ballpark, one could smoke weed in the area designated as the smoking section as there's no differentiation between tobacco or weed, at least in California smoking laws.

[Numb-nuts 1]

Our laws are somewhat similar in spirit to yours in the USA. So far as I am aware, there is no law preventing taking oictures or video in public areas unless of course you live inear politically sensitive areas around secrecy sensitive installations such as GCHQ.

 

On the other hand, some people think police have to ask permission to take measures to prevent a nuisance. Personally I would be grateful and I will say as I have always said. only those with something to hide have anything to fear from CCTV.

 

You can't on the one hand ask police for help then complain when they take action to prevent the very thing you complained about.

Of course you could always ask have the teens to return and drive the police out?

[Joe1uk 0]

Police would have to have permission as it's not public land. Although the wpc claimed it was. It isn't it's Council land rented out to tenants on a secure lease. Therefore we all rent the use of the communal land. This is something that I'm struggling to get the council, police and this crime partner ship that's organised this waste of money to understand. We have to ask permission, whilst they do as they please.

The grey area is if the land owner agrees, which they have and tenants aren't even asked then is what the landlord doing legal. I certainly see it that its not moral. I don't mind the camera being there that much , its more that they haven't asked permission. Although it will see everything that i do outside of the building, when i go out, when i come in, what i buy, unload in and out of the van and garage, when i have visitors. Nothing to hide but common courtesy to advise and ask permission. Tell me who's watching, how to contact them etc.

No one else seems bothered that I've asked. The guy next door isn't happy about it but wouldn't complain because the whingers at the bottom have reported him for noise and he's keeping his head low.

They've fitted the electrics and armoured cable today . nifty lifts, two electricians, armoured cable. no health and safety though, cable all over the paths.

the strange thing is that i've not seen these teens in two months. They simply haven't been here and i can't understand why the camera is being fitted now. It is as it turns out only a temporary one until they move on.

It's got to be false reports from the people downstairs. false reports that next door are playing music, he's rarely here, and false reports of teens smoking weed.

 

Something's very strange with it all.

 

My other issue with it is that i fitted a camera myself, put warning signs up, all above board yet was told to take it down because id fitted it without their permission even though i'd asked the neighbours and it broke regulations . This wasn't true and i sent a them a copy of the regulations . They wouldn't admit they were wrong in an attempt to save face. They insisted i take it down or they would. I told them I'd disconnected it and they dropped it. Now the roles are reversed its

 

Thanks for your replies. I'll mention it in my complaint that I'm not the only one with issues.

 

RE the weed, its 'no smoking' in the enclosed stairway, but they were standing in the open porch and it was being sucked in through the door, up the stairs and into the flats. And yes it's illegal, as is smoking inside the communal areas.

[buellwinkle 0]

RE the weed, its 'no smoking' in the enclosed stairway, but they were standing in the open porch and it was being sucked in through the door, up the stairs and into the flats. And yes it's illegal, as is smoking inside the communal areas.

 

Sorry to hear it's illegal there, they'll come around one day. I know, smell permeates walls. In our unit which is a highrise steel & concrete building, double paned windows, doors/windows closed, I can still smell it, cheap weed, so we had to smoke our good weed to get rid of the smell of theirs. One has to do what one has to do. The building is full of cameras, inside, outside. Very cool setup, where if you stand too long near the camera, it has a recording that comes on and tells you to go away.