Interview CCTV & ANPR

Michell Jensen, Q-Park Denmark

“Safeguarding customer privacy”

Q-Park uses CCTV, closed circuit television, in many of its parking facilities. We do this for customer safety. Fortunately, vehicles parked with us are seldom involved in theft or vandalism. But when this happens, customers appreciate that we can provide evidence if requested by the police or insurance company.

A few years ago we also introduced ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) in some parking facilities. This increases quality for season ticket holders: it is quicker for them to enter and exit the facility. This makes parking easier.

Capturing images and storing data affects the privacy of our customers. It is crucial that Q-Park is vigilant when it comes to protecting this data. Because CCTV can record activities conducted by an individual, the use of such images is regulated by law. Data is stored securely in a location to which only a few people within the organisation have access. Data is only kept as long as necessary and for no longer than 30 days.

For customers it is important that they always know when and where we are using CCTV/ANPR. To make this clear, we place signs at the parking facility entrance. The information stated there is also available on Q-Park's website. We also clearly state the purpose of these images in our standard terms and conditions. We only use the data for the purpose for which it is intended and we adhere to our Q-Park CCTV Code, our own company policy and good practices.

I suspect the use of ANPR will increase now that there are so many new technical developments based on it. Q-Park Denmark continues to seek new parking solutions with ANPR, such as a platform that will give our customers access to their own data. This will allow us to gain maximum benefit from the technologies available while, at the same time, making it clear to our customers that Q-Park is acting in accordance with the law and high safety standards.