BSIA code of practice forms basis for new British Standard

Published on 24 Dec 2007

A British Security Industry Association code of practice has now been developed into a new British Standard for digital CCTV recording systems for the purpose of exported image data to be used as evidence.

BSIA CCTV Section Chairman, Pauline Norstrom, comments:

"BSIA CCTV section members are delighted to have made such a significant contribution to the development of this new British Standard - BS 8495:2007. Ensuring that digital CCTV footage carries sufficient weight in court is of paramount importance and is dependent on a number of factors including: image quality and authenticity; storage; the method used to export images; playback; operator/owner awareness; and a comprehensive audit trail."
"The new standard should be seen as an independent benchmark for customers to look for when choosing a digital CCTV system. Ultimately, we want to see the same confidence in the validity of digital media in the criminal justice system as there is in VHS tape from a traditional VCR and this new standard is a significant step towards this."

The BSIA will formally adopt the new British Standard into its criteria for membership of the CCTV section in the New Year.