Kia ora,

 

We refer to your information request below. Hamilton City Council provides
the following response.

 

Your request:

 

As stated in previous requests ANPR data/ license plates are not
considered “private information”
So I now would like to request a full history of all scanned license
plates on every camera in Hamilton. Considering this is not “private
information” and doesn’t require a privacy impact assessment this should
mean they are OIAable.
Please provide a spreadsheet with all scanned license plates in Hamilton,
to the longest history the system holds.

 

Our response:

 

CitySafe:

 

When CitySafe are using the ANPR to track vehicles through the CCTV
cameras it is from stored footage and live footage, the licence plates are
not stored. We use it for LGOIMA request and NZ Police – the storage for
CCTV footage is only 7 days.

 

Transport:

 

Transport collects licence plates for enforcement for infringements eg:
Parking tickets, please see the attached spreadsheet of around 500 that we
have from a month.

 

We collect these licences plates under as a Local Authority under the Land
Transport Act 1998 where we have been delegated the responsibility to
enforce the Act, then Hamilton City Council also has the Traffic Bylaw
2021 that we also enforce.

 

The SmartOps

 

The data provided (attachment LGOIMA 419523 – SmartOps Team) has been
stored for Traffic Counting purposes only, the two main purposes are for
counting the volume of vehicles, each plate represents one vehicle. This
data is then used to determine the percentage of heavy vehicle using
Hamilton city council’s network.

 

Gathering all licence plates that we have on file via our various business
units we would consider this to be substantial collation under s17(f) of
LGOIMA – it would impact the daily duties of our staff.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Ngaa mihi

Keeley Faulkner

Official Information Coordinator

Legal services

Governance & Assurance Team | Partnerships, communication & Maaori

Email: [2][Hamilton City Council request email]

Hamilton City Council | Private Bag 3010 | Hamilton 3240 |
[3]www.hamilton.govt.nz
[4]http://data.hcc.govt.nz/branding/faceboo... us on Facebook
[6]http://data.hcc.govt.nz/branding/twitter... us on Twitter
This email and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please
delete the message and notify the sender. You should not read, copy, use,
change, alter, disclose or deal in any manner whatsoever with this email
or its attachments without written authorisation from the originating
sender. Hamilton City Council does not accept any liability whatsoever in
connection with this email and any attachments including in connection
with computer viruses, data corruption, delay, interruption, unauthorised
access or unauthorised amendment. Unless expressly stated to the contrary
the content of this email, or any attachment, shall not be considered as
creating any binding legal obligation upon Hamilton City Council. Any
views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may
not necessarily reflect the views of Hamilton City Council.

 

I support flexibility at work. While it suits me to send this email now, I
don’t expect a response outside of your own working hours. 

 

From: Joshua Rogers <[8][FOI #28038 email]>
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2024 5:50 PM
To: Official Information <[9][Hamilton City Council request email]>
Subject: Re: Official Information request - ANPR cameras & data

 

Dear Hamilton City Council,

Just confirming you have received this OIA request as I am yet to receive
an acknowledgment.

Yours faithfully,

Joshua Rogers

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[10][FOI #28038 email]

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[11]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

From: Joshua Rogers [12][FOI #28038 email]
Sent: Tuesday, August 13, 2024 8:34 PM
To: Official Information [13][Hamilton City Council request email]
Subject: Official Information request - ANPR cameras & data

 

Dear Hamilton City Council,

As stated in previous requests ANPR data/ license plates are not
considered “private information”

So I now would like to request a full history of all scanned license
plates on every camera in Hamilton. Considering this is not “private
information” and doesn’t require a privacy impact assessment this should
mean they are OIAable.

Please provide a spreadsheet with all scanned license plates in Hamilton,
to the longest history the system holds.

Yours faithfully,

Joshua Rogers

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[14][FOI #28038 email]

Is [15][Hamilton City Council request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to Hamilton City Council? If so, please contact us
using this form:
[16]https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[17]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

References

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Kia ora,

 

LGOIMA 349383
Your request of Our response 15 Your further Council’s
September 2023 September 2023 correspondence response/explanation
of 11 11 September 2024
    September 2024
1. What are the 1.       Please see On the 15th of Your previous LGOIMA
locations of the spreadsheet September 2023 349383 this was
the currently attached that provides you responded interpreted as a
installed ANPR the current Licence to my OIA question for our
cameras + Plate Recognition request - Your CitySafe team (ANPR
install dates Camera’s reference linked to the
if possible. provided is stationary cameras
2.       As the above LGOIMA 349383. we have located in
2. What are the there are future the city) as the
locations of locations but In this main questions were
the future, installation dates request I about enforcement
planned have not been asked for and Police action.
installed ANPR confirmed. information
cameras. around ANPR  
3.       Axis ANPR cameras in
3. What system software and Milestone Hamilton, At the time of
is being used including what responding to you
to run the ANPR 4.       Our footage software is ANPR associated with
cameras (axis, is only held for 30 used and how parking enforcement
milestone, days. long ANPR data (vehicles that drive
Rekor or other is stored for. through the city)
ANPR 5.       The Privacy was not interpreted
softwares). commissioner was not You responded as being within
consulted before to this by scope of this
4. How long are installing ANPR as saying you use request.
license plate licence plates are not Axis ANPR
data stored considered private software and  
for. information, please Milestone.
see here You also This request LGOIMA
5. Was the the [1]Privacy stated that 349383 was made and
office of the Commissioner website. data is kept responded 12 months
privacy for 30 days. ago.  
commissioner 6.       Police –
consulted updated every 15 You then  
before minutes. further down
installation. when I asked Our retention policy
7.       The fixed how many for CCTV (CitySafe
6. How does the ANPR check for stolen alerts you team (ANPR linked to
ANPR system get vehicles and number have had since the stationary
its plate alert plates. HCC installation cameras we have
data (NZTA, Transportation ANPR of these located in the city)
carjam API, vehicles will be used cameras you changed to 7 days
police, manual to improve the safe stated the from 30 days. This
plate entry) working environment of following: changed January
Parking Wardens. This "We do not 2024, this did not
7. Does the will be done to keep records need to be a council
ANPR system deliver existing beyond 30 days decision it was a
check for compliance routines and the recent decision that was
expired rego, and to improve the data we have approved by the
wof, etc or is safety of road users does not General Manager
it only for around the city in separate responsible for the
stolen support of Access number plate group.
vehicles. Hamilton and City alerts and
Transportation stolen  
8. What is the initiatives. vehicles. Only
city’s plans the stolen Holding footage for
for ANPR 8.       The vehicle 30 days was
(covering all Spreadsheet attached data is incurring
entrances to provided covers the responded to." substantial storage
the city, intended costs, and the
hotspots for installations. This leads me reduction in
stolen vehicles to believe you retention time to 7
etc) 9.       Police have have lied to days has helped to
direct access to the me in this OIA reduce costs.
9. Do police data via the secure request by
have a direct vGRID SaferCity stating two  
access to view Platform. things:
plate data or "the licence Staff have not lied
is it only 10.   We do not keep plates are not to you.
accessible by records beyond 30 days stored"
City and the recent data we "the storage
Cameras/city have does not separate for CCTV
safe. number plate alerts footage is
and stolen vehicles. only 7 days"
10. How many Only the stolen
alerts for vehicle data is
stolen cars responded to.
have the HCC
had since 11.   No, this
installations. information is
sensitive to the
11. Can you successful tender.
provide a cost
breakdown of 12.   The Spreadsheet
the provides the intended
installation of installations.
cameras on a
“per camera”
basis.

12. Does the
HCC plan to
have the city
fully covered
by ANPR (all
the way to te
rapa, down the
south
hamilton).
LGOIMA 419523
Your request of Our response of 10 Your further Council’s
13 August 2024 September 2024 correspondence response/explanation
of 11 11 September 2024
    September 2024
 As stated in  CitySafe: Also stating LGOIMA 419523 was
previous further down treated as a
requests ANPR   "Gathering all separate request,
data/ license licence plates and expanded the
plates are not When CitySafe are that we have internal enquiry on
considered using the ANPR to on file via this to areas like
“private track vehicles through our various enforcement of
information” camera of stored business units parking tickets and
footage – the storage we would traffic counting
So I now would for CCTV footage is consider this because your request
like to request only 7 days. to be was for all scanned
a full history substantial license plates on
of all scanned   collation every camera in
license plates under s17(f) Hamilton.
on every camera Transport: of
in Hamilton. LGOIMA – it  
Considering   would impact
this is not the daily We considered
“private Transport check duties of our parking enforcement
information” licence plates for staff." to be different –
and doesn’t enforcement for i.e. not linked to
require a infringements eg: This is again the stationary ANPR
privacy impact Parking tickets are a factually cameras that
assessment this random 500 we have incorrect. I CitySafe use.
should mean collated over a month am very
they are period. familiar with  
OIAable. Axis ANPR
  software and There is a Mobile
Please provide Milestone ANPR car that drives
a spreadsheet SmartOps software. What around but we did
with all The data provided I am not see it in scope
scanned license (attachment LGOIMA requesting is of your previous
plates in 419523 – SmartOps all License request about
Hamilton, to Team) has been stored Plates scanned stationary ANPR
the longest for Traffic Counting via your ANPR cameras. These
history the purposes only, the two cameras linked licence plates are
system holds. main purposes are for with the Axis only stored as part
counting the volume of ANPR Software of parking ticket
vehicles, each plate and/or information that is
represents one Milestone not publicly
vehicle. This data is software. available, as we
then used to determine Police are stated before this
the percentage of able to back is in alinement with
heavy vehicle using search license our delegations
Hamilton city plates via under the Land
council’s network. vGrid and Transport Act 1998.
track their
Gathering all licence movements so I  
plates that we have on would expect
file via our various you to provide Stored footage can
business units we those plates, be scanned with the
would consider this to whether alerts ANPR software we get
be substantial or just a licence plate
collation under s17(f) scanned information via a
of LGOIMA – it would plates. request with LGOIMA
impact the daily or Police. We do not
duties of our staff. keep it once the
request has been
fulfilled. Police
can run their ANPR
on the software as
it is saved footage.
Once it is sent to
Police it is wiped
as per our normal
retention of 7 days.

 

Our CitySafe data
that is sent
directly to Police
Via the VGrid
SaferCity Platform
we do not store
this.

 
The information that
we are refusing (and
continue to refuse)
under s17(f) is all
parking ticket
licence plates that
we collect for
infringement because
this would require
substantial.

 

Your request for all
scanned license
plates on every
camera in Hamilton,
as worded includes
not only fixed
cameras but camera’s
on vehicles used by
the parking
enforcement team.

 

 

 

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Ngaa mihi

Keeley Faulkner

Official Information Coordinator

Legal services

Governance & Assurance Team | Partnerships, communication & Maaori

Email: [3][Hamilton City Council request email]

Hamilton City Council | Private Bag 3010 | Hamilton 3240 |
[4]www.hamilton.govt.nz
[5]http://data.hcc.govt.nz/branding/faceboo... us on Facebook
[7]http://data.hcc.govt.nz/branding/twitter... us on Twitter
This email and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please
delete the message and notify the sender. You should not read, copy, use,
change, alter, disclose or deal in any manner whatsoever with this email
or its attachments without written authorisation from the originating
sender. Hamilton City Council does not accept any liability whatsoever in
connection with this email and any attachments including in connection
with computer viruses, data corruption, delay, interruption, unauthorised
access or unauthorised amendment. Unless expressly stated to the contrary
the content of this email, or any attachment, shall not be considered as
creating any binding legal obligation upon Hamilton City Council. Any
views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may
not necessarily reflect the views of Hamilton City Council.

 

I support flexibility at work. While it suits me to send this email now, I
don’t expect a response outside of your own working hours. 

 

 

 

From: Joshua Rogers <[9][FOI #28038 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2024 7:38 AM
To: Official Information <[10][Hamilton City Council request email]>
Subject: Re: Final response - LGOIMA 419523 - Joshua Rodger - ANPR licence
plates

 

Dear Official Information,

I have serious concerns with this reply and I am contemplating making a
complaint to the ombudsman.

Here is why:

On the 15th of September 2023 you responded to my OIA request - Your
reference provided is LGOIMA 349383.

In this request I asked for information around ANPR cameras in hamilton,
including what software is used and how long ANPR data is stored for.

You responded to this by saying you use Axis ANPR software and Milestone.
You also stated that data is kept for 30 days.

You then further down when I asked how many alerts you have had since
installation of these cameras you stated the following:
"We do not keep records beyond 30 days and the recent data we have does
not
separate number plate alerts and stolen vehicles. Only the stolen vehicle
data is responded to."

This leads me to believe you have lied to me in this OIA request by
stating two things:
"the licence plates are not stored"
"the storage for CCTV footage is only 7 days"

Also stating further down "Gathering all licence plates that we have on
file via our various business
units we would consider this to be substantial collation under s17(f) of
LGOIMA – it would impact the daily duties of our staff."

This is again factually incorrect. I am very familiar with Axis ANPR
software and Milestone software. What I am requesting is all License
Plates scanned via your ANPR cameras linked with the Axis ANPR Software
and/or Milestone software. Police are able to back search license plates
via vGrid and track their movements so I would expect you to provide those
plates, whether alerts or just scanned plates.

Please provide this immediately before an Ombudsman complaint is made.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Rogers

show quoted sections

Kia ora,

 

We had sent this in a table to provide a set out explanation, it seems
that the FYI website is not compatible with this. Please see our
explanation below.

 

Your request September 2023 – LGOIMA 349383

 

Your request:

 

1. What are the locations of the currently installed ANPR cameras +
install dates if possible.

2. What are the locations of the future, planned installed ANPR cameras.

3. What system is being used to run the ANPR cameras (axis, milestone,
Rekor or other ANPR softwares).

4. How long are license plate data stored for.

5. Was the office of the privacy commissioner consulted before
installation.

6. How does the ANPR system get its plate alert data (NZTA, carjam API,
police, manual plate entry)

7. Does the ANPR system check for expired rego, wof, etc or is it only for
stolen vehicles.

8. What is the city’s plans for ANPR (covering all entrances to the city,
hotspots for stolen vehicles etc)

9. Do police have a direct access to view plate data or is it only
accessible by City Cameras/city safe.

10. How many alerts for stolen cars have the HCC had since installations.

11. Can you provide a cost breakdown of the installation of cameras on a
“per camera” basis.

12. Does the HCC plan to have the city fully covered by ANPR (all the way
to te rapa, down the south hamilton).

 

Our response:

 1. Please see the spreadsheet attached that provides the current Licence
Plate Recognition Camera’s
 2. As the above there are future locations but installation dates have
not been confirmed.
 3. Axis ANPR software and Milestone
 4. Our footage is only held for 30 days.
 5. The Privacy commissioner was not consulted before installing ANPR as
licence plates are not considered private information, please see here
the [1]Privacy Commissioner website.
 6. Police – updated every 15 minutes.
 7. The fixed ANPR check for stolen vehicles and number plates. HCC
Transportation ANPR vehicles will be used to improve the safe working
environment of Parking Wardens. This will be done to deliver existing
compliance routines and to improve the safety of road users around the
city in support of Access Hamilton and City Transportation
initiatives.
 8. The Spreadsheet attached provided covers the intended installations.
 9. Police have direct access to the data via the secure vGRID SaferCity
Platform.
10. We do not keep records beyond 30 days and the recent data we have does
not separate number plate alerts and stolen vehicles. Only the stolen
vehicle data is responded to.
11. No, this information is sensitive to the successful tender.
12. The Spreadsheet provides the intended installations.

Your further correspondence of 11 September 2024

 

On the 15th of September 2023 you responded to my OIA request - Your
reference provided is LGOIMA 349383.
In this request I asked for information around ANPR cameras in Hamilton,
including what software is used and how long ANPR data is stored for.

You responded to this by saying you use Axis ANPR software and Milestone.
You also stated that data is kept for 30 days.

You then further down when I asked how many alerts you have had since
installation of these cameras you stated the following:
"We do not keep records beyond 30 days and the recent data we have does
not
separate number plate alerts and stolen vehicles. Only the stolen vehicle
data is responded to."

This leads me to believe you have lied to me in this OIA request by
stating two things:
"the licence plates are not stored"
"the storage for CCTV footage is only 7 days"

 

Council’s response/explanation 11 September 2024

 

Your previous LGOIMA 349383 this was interpreted as a question for our
CitySafe team (ANPR linked to the stationary cameras we have located in
the city) as the main questions were about enforcement and Police action.

 

At the time of responding to you ANPR associated with parking enforcement
(vehicles that drive through the city) was not interpreted as being within
scope of this request.

 

This request LGOIMA 349383 was made and responded 12 months ago.  

 

Our retention policy for CCTV (CitySafe team (ANPR linked to the
stationary cameras we have located in the city) changed to 7 days from 30
days. This changed January 2024, this did not need to be a council
decision it was a decision that was approved by the General Manager
responsible for the group.

 

Holding footage for 30 days was incurring substantial storage costs, and
the reduction in retention time to 7 days has helped to reduce costs.

 

Staff have not lied to you.

 

Your request September 2024 – LGOIMA 419523

 

Your request:

 

As stated in previous requests ANPR data/ license plates are not
considered “private information”
So I now would like to request a full history of all scanned license
plates on every camera in Hamilton. Considering this is not “private
information” and doesn’t require a privacy impact assessment this should
mean they are OIAable.
Please provide a spreadsheet with all scanned license plates in Hamilton,
to the longest history the system holds.

 

Our response:

 

CitySafe:

 

When CitySafe are using the ANPR to track vehicles through camera of
stored footage – the storage for CCTV footage is only 7 days.

 

Transport:

 

Transport check licence plates for enforcement for infringements eg:
Parking tickets are a random 500 we have collated over a month period.

 

SmartOps
The data provided (attachment LGOIMA 419523 – SmartOps Team) has been
stored for Traffic Counting purposes only, the two main purposes are for
counting the volume of vehicles, each plate represents one vehicle. This
data is then used to determine the percentage of heavy vehicle using
Hamilton city council’s network.

Gathering all licence plates that we have on file via our various business
units we would consider this to be substantial collation under s17(f) of
LGOIMA – it would impact the daily duties of our staff.

 

Your further correspondence of 11 September 2024

 

Also stating further down "Gathering all licence plates that we have on
file via our various business units we would consider this to be
substantial collation under s17(f) of
LGOIMA – it would impact the daily duties of our staff."

This is again factually incorrect. I am very familiar with Axis ANPR
software and Milestone software. What I am requesting is all License
Plates scanned via your ANPR cameras linked with the Axis ANPR Software
and/or Milestone software. Police are able to back search license plates
via vGrid and track their movements so I would expect you to provide those
plates, whether alerts or just scanned plates.

 

Council’s response/explanation 11 September 2024

 

LGOIMA 419523 was treated as a separate request, and expanded the internal
enquiry on this to areas like enforcement of parking tickets and traffic
counting because your request was for all scanned license plates on every
camera in Hamilton.

 

We considered parking enforcement to be different – i.e. not linked to the
stationary ANPR cameras that CitySafe use.

 

There is a Mobile ANPR car that drives around but we did not see it in
scope of your previous request about stationary ANPR cameras. These
licence plates are only stored as part of parking ticket information that
is not publicly available, as we stated before this is in alinement with
our delegations under the Land Transport Act 1998.

 

Stored footage can be scanned with the ANPR software we get a licence
plate information via a request with LGOIMA or Police. We do not keep it
once the request has been fulfilled. Police can run their ANPR on the
software as it is saved footage. Once it is sent to Police it is wiped as
per our normal retention of 7 days.

 

Our CitySafe data that is sent directly to Police Via the VGrid SaferCity
Platform we do not store this.

 

The information that we are refusing (and continue to refuse) under s17(f)
is all parking ticket licence plates that we collect for infringement
because this would require substantial.

 

Your request for all scanned license plates on every camera in Hamilton,
as worded includes not only fixed cameras but camera’s on vehicles used by
the parking enforcement team.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[2]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

Ngaa mihi

Keeley Faulkner

Official Information Coordinator

Governance & Assurance Team | Partnerships, communication & Maaori

Email: [3][Hamilton City Council request email]

Hamilton City Council | Private Bag 3010 | Hamilton 3240 |
[4]www.hamilton.govt.nz
[5]http://data.hcc.govt.nz/branding/faceboo... us on Facebook
[7]http://data.hcc.govt.nz/branding/twitter... us on Twitter
This email and any attachments are strictly confidential and may contain
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please
delete the message and notify the sender. You should not read, copy, use,
change, alter, disclose or deal in any manner whatsoever with this email
or its attachments without written authorisation from the originating
sender. Hamilton City Council does not accept any liability whatsoever in
connection with this email and any attachments including in connection
with computer viruses, data corruption, delay, interruption, unauthorised
access or unauthorised amendment. Unless expressly stated to the contrary
the content of this email, or any attachment, shall not be considered as
creating any binding legal obligation upon Hamilton City Council. Any
views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender and may
not necessarily reflect the views of Hamilton City Council.

 

I support flexibility at work. While it suits me to send this email now, I
don’t expect a response outside of your own working hours. 

 

From: Joshua Rogers <[FOI #28038 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2024 3:01 PM
To: Official Information <[Hamilton City Council request email]>
Subject: Re: Follow up - Final response - LGOIMA 419523 - Joshua Rodger -
ANPR licence plates

 

Dear Official Information,

What on earth is this response?

It looks like mumbled gibberish.

Can you please respond properly.

Read the version I see here:
[9]https://fyi.org.nz/request/28038-anpr-ca...

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Rogers

show quoted sections