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Privacy Management at Work

Video Surveillance of Civic Property

The City of Nanaimo is responsible for public assets that represent a large investment of public money. Video surveillance systems are used to better protect the security of its people, assets, and property against crimes such as vandalism, theft, damage, and destruction. 

Access to video surveillance information is limited and requests for access to incident specific information must be referred to the City’s FOI Head or Records/Information & Privacy Coordinator and will only be disclosed in accordance with FOIPPA.

The City uses a recording system that overwrites data on a continual basis. Recorded video data will generally be retained for up to two weeks and will automatically be deleted and purged at the expiry of the above retention period.

Traffic Monitoring Cameras

The use of Video Imaging Vehicle Detection Systems (VIVDS) has been implemented at signalized intersections throughout the City of Nanaimo. No identifiable information as defined by FOIPPA will be recorded or stored by the City. Pixelated imagery is processed and converted into a text data log which represents traffic volumes. Traffic volume data can then be used by Traffic Engineering staff to analyze and improve traffic operation.

Other devices on signal poles are used to detect the sounds of emergency vehicles and communicate with the traffic signal; these devices are not cameras.

Licence Plate Recognition Technology

The City of Nanaimo uses Licence Plate Recognition technology to monitor public parking on Nanaimo’s downtown streets and surrounding areas. A vehicle equipped with a series of cameras and a G.P.S. unit patrols roadways and records the location of parked vehicles and the time they’ve been parked. 

Quick Facts

  • Any vehicle licence plate that is photographed and not in violation of an offence is purged at the end of the shift.
  • Any vehicle licence plate that is photographed and in violation will be stored in a secure manner and may be used and disclosed during legal or adjudication hearings. In accordance with FOIPPA, information that is used to make a decision that directly affects an individual will be stored in a secure manner for at least one year after the City makes the decision.
  • Licence plate information is only used to assist in enforcing the traffic bylaw or collecting a debt to the City as a result of a bylaw infraction.
  • The cameras are focused on the licence plates of a vehicle and do not take pictures of pedestrians. The information collected is specific to enforcement of the traffic bylaw and is not used as a tracking mechanism.

Last updated: November 13, 2024

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PRIVACY AND YOUR PRESENTATION

  • Information collected on this form is done so under the general authority of the Community Charter and Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act (FOIPPA), and is protected in accordance with FOIPPA. Personal information will only be used by authorized staff to fulfill the purpose for which it was originally collected, or for a use consistent with that purpose.
  • Regular Council and Committee meetings that are open to the public are webcast using live-streaming video technology and may be recorded for video-on-demand access for subsequent viewing. By speaking at these meetings, you are consenting to disclosure of any personal information made evident through your speech or presentation materials, and acknowledging that this information may be disclosed and/or accessed outside of Canada. Personal information may include your image, name, address, and personal opinions. You are also asserting that your presentation is in compliance with the Federal Copyright Act, and grant the City of Nanaimo license to publish these materials. Individuals presenting to Council or Committees are requested to not disclose third-party information or it may be redacted.
For further information regarding the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, please contact the Legislative Services Office at 250-755-4405 or at foi@nanaimo.ca.