Calgary's use of networked security cameras nearly doubles in 5 years

This story was originally published Sep. 2.

The number of cameras that the City of Calgary uses to record you on streets, pathways and around city buildings has nearly doubled in five years and that doesn't include thousands more that aren't fed into its secret command centre.

CBC News Calgary obtained an exclusive, behind-the scenes tour of the Integrated Security Centre (ISC)where city staff watchfeeds from 1,141networked cameras mostly incity buildings and along downtown streets, like StephenAvenue or high-traffic pathways like the Riverwalk in East Village.

That's up 83 per centfrom the 600 cameras that fed data into the room in 2011.

And the total doesn't include about 140more in city facilities mostly recreation centres like swimming pools or arenas whicharen't linked into the centre but that city security staff can access.

Nor does it include an estimated 1,800+ cameras operated by Calgary Roads, Calgary Transit and theCalgary Parking Authority.

The total number of city cameras trained on Calgarians? Over3,000.

But don't worry that Big Brother always has his eye on you, saysDon vonHollen ofthe city's corporate securitydivision.

"It's really not possible to truly monitor every one of the cameras in real time all the time," he said.

"Video surveillance is really used in two ways. It's verification of an alarm or it's used in investigative evidence after the fact."

Spending on corporate security has also jumped significantly. It was less than $500,000 in 2006. The base budget in 2016 is $7.3 million.

16monitorsin secret command centre

CBC News agreed to not reveal the location of thesecurity command centrein exchange for apeek behind locked doors.

Sixteen giantflatscreenmonitors line one wall of the dark, windowless room, which is lockedawayin a controlled access area of a city building. The control roomopened in 2010.

The monitors can show feeds from four or more cameras at a time if wanted. Each workstation also has three or four monitors.

On this weekday morning, only two security staff quietly monitorfeeds and listento chatter on security radios.

But the 12or so workstations here are all packedwhen there's a major public eventlike Canada Day or the Calgary Stampede parade.

Somerecord on 14-day loop

VonHollensaid some cameras are always recording, with data deleted on a 14-day loop.Those images can be monitored in real time in the ISC.

Other cameras only start recording if they're triggered by asecurity breach, such as someone setting off an alarm by tryingto break into a city building.

The city even has a few mobile cameras units it can deployduring special events like the Stampede parade or to assist specific investigations such as suspected vandalism on city property.

The goal of the cameras is to protect city assets and the public not to invade the public's privacy,von Hollen says.

For example, he said, the city doesn't use facial recognition software.

It alsorestricts accessto the recordings. Just because someone works for the city doesn't mean they can viewthe recordings: it's limited to certain security staff and those involved with specific investigations.

The ISC can also share recordings with the police to assist with an investigation upon request.

Each new camera must comply with a privacy impact assessment (PIA) done by the city to adhere to the province's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

That assessment was accepted by the province's privacy commissioner in 2009. However, Alberta's Office of the Information and Privacy Commissionerdoesn't review the assessment periodically to see whether it needs updatingthat's the city's responsibility.

Although the number of cameras on city facilities has grown, vonHollensaid putting up yet another one isn't the only solution to every security problem.

"If we get a vandalism to a facility, what other pieces can we use to help address the issue? Lighting. Line of sight. Crime prevention through environmental design principles. Use of space. Really taking a look at the whole picture and if hardware is needed, then certainly we have the ability to do that."

Public 'probably not aware of the scale'

The public should be concerned about the number of cameras and how they're being used, according a civil libertarian.

"What kind of society do you want?Do you want to live in a surveillance state?" saidKellyErnst, headof the Calgary-based Rocky Mountain Civil Liberties Association.

Given the cameras are publicly owned and paid for by tax dollars, Ernst said Calgarians should ask some tough questions about the growth of the city's security operation. He feels there has been little debate on the floor of city council.

"My first thought is the public is probably not aware of the scale, of the amount of cameras that are across the city at public properties."

He wants the city to be more transparent about the cameras, including making public details about where they are and why they've been placed in those locations.

Ernst encouragespeople who are concerned to ask their city councillor, their MLA and the province's privacy commissioner about the city's increasing use of security cameras.

He also questioned how effective they are at preventing crime.

"We know in other cities where cameras have been used extensively that crime doesn't decrease as a result of cameras," said Ernst. "Crime is related to other factors."

No red flags

Similarconcerns aboutcameras inpublic areas were raised on a provincial level in 2006 byAlberta's then information and privacy commissioner, Frank Work.

Worksaid he had concerns thatgovernmentsor police would "embrace video surveillance as being synonymous with safety and security."

Yet despite Calgary's burgeoning inventory of cameras,Alberta's Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner says that growth hasn'traised any red flags.

OIPC'sdirector of compliance and special investigations, Brian Hamilton, says there aren't provinciallimits to the number of cameras that could end up on Calgary streets or in citybuildings.

He saysmunicipalities are allowed to collect personal information where necessary for a specific business purpose.

"Putting up cameras because you'd like to put up cameras isn't a good reason," said Hamilton. "Putting up cameras to prevent crime or to monitor certain crime hotspots or to perhaps monitor traffic:those are all business reasons why you might put up a camera."

The FOIP Actalso says thecity must bea good steward of the personal information it collects through its cameras.

Hamilton said that means it has to protect recordings from any unauthorized access and make them accessible upon request to anyone who might be in a given video.

Municipalities generally self-police their compliancewith the FOIP Act.TheOffice of the Information and Privacy Commissioner typically gets involved only if there are complaints.

Leader in corporate security, expert says

The growth in Calgary's number ofsurveillance cameras went hand-in-hand with an overall expansion in its corporate security operation that has helped it become one of the best in the country,an expert says.

At the same time as it was creating theIntegrated Security Centre and centralizing feeds from city cameras, itwas also hiring more formerpolice or military officers andpoaching keypeople from the private sector, among other measures, saysKevinWalby, an associate professor ofcriminal justice at the University of Winnipeg whohas written extensively on the subject.

"Calgary and Toronto very early on distinguished themselves from other corporate security units insofar as they right away became very specialized," said Walby.

(Toronto has about 2,200 cameras networked into its equivalent command centre.)

"One of the major drivers is a real push for professionalism."

As a result, he says, other municipalities often consult with Calgary and Torontofor their expertise.

Part II of thisseries, to be published Wednesday, will explore further how police accessthe city's corporate security recordings.