On 3/27/07, Patti Kraatz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> We use security cameras at building sites around our Region.
> Currently I have no retention in my by-law for these and I'm concerned
> about future FOI requests/litigation. Does anyone have suggestions  
> for how
> long these 'records' should be retained?

Speaking as a practitioner of security not as a records manager, you  
need to determine why you are recording video in the first place?

For example, in a bank you record the activities in your lobby at the  
teller positions and therefore you need to keep the tapes long enough  
to ensure that when statements are sent out and when other banks come  
back to them with fraud at their bank, etc. that you have the tapes  
of a person coming to the teller line to cash a bogus check or  
defraud a customer of the bank in some way.

So the retention period there is a matter of the time it takes for  
any felonious activity to come to light.

Since checks have clearing times, you have a period of time where the  
need for the tape and its contents are somewhat defined.

I think you need to determine why you video in the first place?  In  
many of the banks they determined that it required 6 months for all  
illegal activities to come to light.  For example it is likely in  
many deaths that some illegal activity may occur with the deceased  
funds and it will not be discovered until the Probate is run that  
some one cashed checks illegally on that person and so the bank's  
video may be the only way to identify them.

In one case, we caught a murderer because he cashed checks the day of  
and the day after the death  occurred.  Once the DA demanded the  
tapes, they became permanent records.

So the answer to "What are we trying to accomplish with the recording  
of video, may then define the necessary retention time.

Hugh

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