Statement

Video cameras may be installed on school purpose vehicles in order to promote student safety and for the protection of property.

Procedure

  • Noting that a school purpose vehicle is an extension of the classroom and that the use of cameras has been approved on school property, the use of video cameras is extended beyond school property to school purpose vehicles.
  • In the event of an incident or accident, the school principal will make a request to access relevant video recordings by contacting Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR) who will, in turn, advise the bus company to share the video directly with the principal. The bus company is responsible for making the video available to the school principal as early as is practical once the request is made.
  • In the event of a request coming from a school principal on a bus shared between more than one school board, STSWR will make the other school principal aware of the request and nature of the incident or accident.
  • Any material recorded on video is for the exclusive use of Student Transportation Services of Waterloo Region (STSWR) and the member school boards only, or for any use required by law.
  • Video materials, under normal conditions, will be retained for a rolling time frame of 30 days. In the event of an incident or an accident, the material will be archived by the operator for a longer period as requested by STSWR and a copy will be provided to STSWR for safekeeping.

Records

  1. STSWR will store and retain storage devices required for evidentiary purposes according to standard procedures until the law enforcement authorities request them. A storage device release form, as per Appendix A –Access to Video Surveillance Storage Device and Recorded Material, will be completed before any storage device is disclosed to appropriate authorities. The form will indicate who took the device, under what authority, when this occurred, and if it will be returned or destroyed after use. This activity will be subject to audit.
  2. Old storage devices must be securely disposed of in such a way that the personal information cannot be reconstructed or retrieved. Disposal methods could include shredding, burning or magnetically erasing the personal information. A record of the date of disposal of each old storage device is to be maintained in a log.
  3. An individual whose personal information has been collected by a video surveillance system has a right of access to his or her personal information under section 47 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and section 36 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Access may be granted to one’s own personal information in whole or in part, unless an exemption applies under section 49 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or section 38 of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Access to an individual’s own personal information in these circumstances may also depend upon whether any exempt information can be reasonably severed from the record.

References

This procedure was developed in compliance to:

  • The Education Act
  • The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
  • The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
  • The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
  • The Personal Health Information Protection Act
  • Guidelines from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario for Using Video Surveillance Cameras in Public Places – October 2001
  • Waterloo Catholic District School Board & Waterloo Region District School Board Policies