University halls of residencer are using secret, hidden cameras to monitor illicit or anti-social behaviour.
The cameras are used to monitor ‘hot spot’ areas, where vandalism and smoking are common. They are also set up to record any students who activate the fire alarms in non-emergencies. The Owens Park Tower has eight such cameras available to staff.
An Owens Park employee told Student Direct: Mancunion: “There are cameras that we can move. They respect all the legal requirements for privacy laws. The tutors don’t know where they are without asking specifically.”
The employee stressed that the cameras are not used in any personal spaces, such as bedrooms or bathrooms.
When asked how the cameras were disguised, the employee said: “It would be irresponsible to report that, because it would be less effective and they are there for people’s safety.
“The cameras have been successful in catching people for various things. Levels of vandalism and things like that are way down this year. They are at almost acceptable levels.”
Incidents caught on camera have included drug use and smoking in communal areas and acts of property damage.
“There haven’t been any instances where we have criminally prosecuted. That would be for very serious things. The cameras are usually for fact finding. ‘Who did this?’ or ‘who was here at this time?’ etc. We don’t need evidence in the same way a criminal court would, because we aren’t building a case.
“Most of the time, we have photographic evidence of people doing the crime itself and we have no vested interest in them doing it or being caught, so we have no reason to fake it. In fact, the university is biased against kicking people out because it would mean a loss of revenue.”
The employee also said that some of the visible cameras are intentionally not in operation. “Nowhere does it say that there will be visible CCTV. Some of the cameras are fake. ‘Security theatre’ – it’s an interesting concept.
“It’s actually a mixture. Some of the cameras are real, some fake and some invisible. It’s a lot more effective.”
A spokesperson from the University of Manchester said: “As part of our security measures to protect students, we use CCTV in all residences, and there are signs advising residents and visitors throughout the area. We have had occasion to use temporary CCTV in certain locations where we have experienced malicious fire alarm activations and tampering with fire equipment. As a result we have seen a significant 76 per cent reduction in false alarms, which have caused major inconvenience to our residents. All of our camera installations comply with the Information Commissioner’s Office code of practice.”
However, hidden cameras are by no means standard in university-owned halls of residence. A University of Salford spokesperson said that there is “absolutely no way” that hidden cameras would be used in their halls.
Another member of staff at Owens Park said: “The contract of residency pretty much allows OP staff to do whatever they like. They can come in your room without permission, use cameras in non-sensitive areas. It is all in the contract.”
Isabelle Uren, a first year Combined Studies student and resident of Owens Park said: “When I first heard about it, everyone was talking like it was a conspiracy theory. But really, I feel like it’s for the better. People have said how much of a problem fire alarms were last year. Now it only seems to go off occasionally. As long as they aren’t in the bedrooms or bathrooms, it’s fine.”
Other students were not so pleased. Anna Korenkova, a first year Business Management and Marketing student and resident of the OP Tower said: “I think that there’s a limit to where privacy should be allowed to be invaded in halls. Obviously for safety reasons it’s only wise to tighten up on security. However, people shouldn’t forget that these are hundreds of peoples’ homes and only spaces.”
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