Video Surveillance Uses by Rail Transit Agencies (2011)

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74 APPENDIX A Synthesis Questionnaire Rail Security: Right-of Way Surveillance and Vehicle Security Cameras A Transportation Research Board Synthesis Study Project purpose: This TCRP synthesis project (J-7/SA-24) is studying the use of surveillance systems in rail transit, including how and where surveillance is used, the types of equipment used, who monitors the video, policies on access to the images and chain of custody, and use of the images for criminal, civil, or agency disciplinary prosecutions. Questions ask you to evaluate the value of surveillance in a variety of situations and from where funds for your system were obtained. The questions address many issues; given the wide variety of circumstances and systems, not all questions may be appropriate for all agencies. If a question is not relevant to your system, leave it blank. If you have questions, please contact the principal investigator, Dr. Dorothy M. Schulz at dms10024@aol.com or at dms@ieitransit.com. Answers are confidential to the extent that information will not be linked to your agency without your approval or unless you have been selected as a case study agency. But please identify yourself and your agency so that in our report we are able generalize about agencies based on size, mode, geography, or other group factors. The case studies will focus on agencies whose use of surveillance will be particularly helpful to general managers, police/ security chiefs, and safety managers to learn how they can put technology to best use. If your agency is using surveillance in innovative ways that would benefit others, please volunteer as a case study agency. Despite most police/security and safety personnel being reluctant to volunteer, your participation will permit you to share best practices with peers, including suc- cesses but possibly things that did not work as anticipated and that others can learn from. The final report, to be published by the Transportation Research Board, will be a user-friendly document that will assist all rail transit agencies. Your answers will help others make important decisions; their answers may be equally helpful to you as you consider the costs and labor involved in implementing or upgrading surveillance technology to advance the security and safety of your system by improving your incident management and response capabilities. Thank you for participating. INSTRUCTIONS: For multiple choice questions, please check all that apply; fill in answers may be typed directly onto the question by downloading the document onto your computer. When you have completed it, save it as a new file and follow the instructions for returning it that appear on the last page. If you are uncomfortable working directly on the computer, download and print the survey, fill it out, and follow the instructions on the last page for returning it via FAX or regular mail. RESPONDENT INFORMATION: Your name and title: ( just type even though there are no lines) __________________ Your phone number (remember to include area code): _________________________ Your e-mail address: ____________________________________________________ Full name of your agency: _______________________________________________

75 A. SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM INFORMATION 1. Does your agency use a video surveillance system? 0 a. yes 0 b. no [If no, please go to the last page and answer two questions in Section F] 2. To the best of your knowledge, when did your system introduce video surveillance? [Please specify a year] __________________________________________ 3. Where does your agency use surveillance? [Check all that apply; here and for all replies, no mark indicates the choice does not apply to your system] 0 a. on board vehicles [if yes, please answer b and c] 0 b. in passenger areas 0 c. in operator/cab area 0 d. stations, station platforms, shelters 0 e. elevators only (whether ADA or all) 0 f. parking facilities 0 g. along the right-of-way (ROW) 0 h. in storage or other yards 0 i. in employee/administrative areas 0 j. other (please specify): ____________________ 4. If on board vehicles, what percentage of your heavy rail vehicles has surveillance devices? 0 a. less than 25% 0 b. 25–50% 0 c. 51–75% 0 d. 76–100% 0 e. system has no heavy rail vehicles 5. If on board vehicles, what percentage of your com- muter rail vehicles has surveillance devices? 0 a. less than 25% 0 b. 25–50% 0 c. 51–75% 0 d. 76–100% 0 e. system has no commuter rail vehicles 6. If on board vehicles what percentage of your light rail vehicles/trolleys has surveillance devices? 0 a. less than 25% 0 b. 25–50% 0 c. 51–75% 0 d. 76–100% 0 e. system has no light rail vehicles/trolleys 7. If less than 75 percent, rank in order of importance the factors that influenced the choice of those equipped. (1 is least effective, 5 is most effect, NA indicates played no role) [place the number after the colon] a. high disorder or crime rate: __________________ b. local demands/politics: _____________________ c. enhance perceived customer safety: ____________ d. funds available to retrofitting existing vehicles: ____________________________ e. new vehicles equipped at purchase: ____________ f. other (please specify): _______________________ 8. What percentage of your stations, station platforms, or shelters has surveillance devices? 0 a. less than 25% 0 b. 25–50% 0 c. 51–75% 0 d. 76–100% 9. If less than 75 percent, rank in order of importance the factors that influenced the choice of those equipped (1 is least effective, 5 is most effect, NA indicates played no role) [place the number after the colon] a. high disorder or crime rate: __________________ b. local demands/politics: _____________________ c. enhance perceived customer safety: ____________ d. funding available to retrofit existing stations, platforms, shelters: ___________________________ e. new stations, platforms, shelters designed to accommodate surveillance devices: _____________ f. other (please specify): _______________________ 10. Indicate the types of employee facilities with video surveillance (i.e., yards, counting room, central con- trol room, agency’s headquarters): __________________________________________

76 17. If those viewing the cameras are police/security department personnel, are they: 0 a. individuals with full police authority 0 b. transit-system security officers 0 c. contract agency security officers 0 d. combined (please explain): _______________ 0 e. other (please explain): ___________________ 18. If your system is not viewed, what is the reason? 0 a. administrative decision based on costs 0 b. administration decision based on other considerations (please explain): __________ 19. Does your agency archive images? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 20. If yes, for how long are the images retained? __________________________________________ 21. Who may access the images? [Please list categories of authorized persons] __________________________________________ 22. What procedures are used to maintain/record chain of custody of images: [check all that apply] 0 a. sign in/sign out 0 b. only designated individuals 0 c. only with another authorized person 0 d. other (please specify): ___________________ C. SURVEILLANCE APPLICATIONS 23. For what purposes does your agency use surveil- lance? [Check all that apply] 0 a. crime/vandalism prevention 0 b. fare collection review/dispute mediation 0 c. other complaint resolution 0 d. accident investigation 0 e. employee monitoring 0 f. other (please explain): ___________________ 11. Indicate whether you use video surveillance along your right-of-way (ROW): 0 a. yes 0 b. no 12. If yes, where along the ROW do you use video sur- veillance: [Check all that apply] 0 a. near stations 0 b. at grade crossings 0 c. at interchanges w/other rail systems 0 d. in high disorder or crime areas 0 e. other (please specify): ___________________ 13. Is your surveillance system: [Check all that apply] 0 a. analog 0 b. digital 0 c. combined/in transition 0 d. uncertain 14. Which options does your surveillance system contain or utilize: [Check all that apply] 0 a. 24-hour recording 0 b. automatic emergency digital transmission 0 c. secondary power source 0 d. auto-start [records only when there is motion] 0 e. low light resolution 0 f. uncertain 0 g. other (please specify): ___________________ B. MONITORING, RECORDING AND ARCHIVING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES 15. Are personnel assigned to view surveillance cameras: 0 a. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 0 b. during hours of service only 0 c. none assigned (go to Question 18) 0 d. another configuration (please explain): ______ 16. If the system is viewed during any hours of operation, are those who view the cameras: 0 a. police/security department personnel 0 b. rail operations personnel 0 c. combined

77 35. Have you or local police agencies used your surveil- lance images for criminal prosecutions: 0 a. yes 0 b. no 36. Have you used evidence from the system in civil cases or employee disciplinary actions? 0 a. yes 0 b. no D. LEGAL AND PRIVACY ISSUES 37. Does your agency notify patrons that surveillance cameras are in use? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 38. Were unions/employee representatives consulted in the decision to install surveillance technology? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 39. Has your agency established policies for public access to surveillance images/records? 0 a. yes 0 b. no E. FUNDING AND PLANNING 40. Thinking how your agency paid for its surveillance system, indicate the percentage of funds from each source: (do not indicate actual dollar amounts) [place the number after the colon] a. from FTA grant program: _________________ % b. from Homeland Security (DHS): ____________ % c. from state grants: ________________________ % d. from municipal grants: ___________________ % e. from agency funding: _____________________ % f. from vendor funding or grant: ______________ % g. from other (please explain): _______________ % __________________________________________ Questions 24 to 29: On a five-point scale rate how effective you feel surveillance has been for each. (1 is least effective, 5 is most effect, NA indicates video not used for this) [place the number after the colon] 24. For crime/vandalism prevention: __________________________________________ 25. For fare collection review/dispute mediation: __________________________________________ 26. For other complaint resolution: __________________________________________ 27. For accident investigation: __________________________________________ 28. For employee monitoring: __________________________________________ 29. For other (if more than one, specify uses): __________________________________________ 30. Have you used surveys or other ways to measure patron perceptions of security since the surveillance system was installed? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 31. If yes, do patrons report a higher sense of security? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 32. Have you used surveys or other ways to measure employee perceptions of security since the surveil- lance system was installed? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 33. If yes, do employees report a higher sense of security? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 34. Have you been able to demonstrate a reduction in fraudulent injury or other claims based on your sur- veillance system? 0 a. yes 0 b. no

78 46. If your agency is not considering installing a surveil- lance system, why not? [Check all that apply] 0 a. too expensive 0 b. not necessary 0 c. legal concerns 0 d. other (please explain): ___________________ MAY WE CONTACT YOU FOR FUTHER INFORMATION? 0 Yes 0 No THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING. Instructions for returning your questionnaire: Via E-Mail: Rename the file using “save as” (please add your agency’s name to the file) and e-mail to Dorothy Schulz at dms10024@aol.com or dms@ieitransit.com Via Fax: Address your cover sheet to Dorothy Schulz or Susan Gilbert at 1-212-490-9611 Via Mail: Send to: Dorothy M. Schulz, Ph.D. Director of Transit Security Interactive Elements Incorporated 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 2035 New York, New York 10165 IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS: E-mail Dr. Schulz 41. Do plans call for all new vehicles to be equipped with surveillance cameras when placed into revenue service? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 42. If the answer to 41 is yes, will be cameras be placed in: 0 a. patron areas only 0 b. patron areas and operator/cab areas 43. Are surveillance cameras included in all new station design plans? 0 a. yes 0 b. no 44. If you know, specify the manufacturer of your equip- ment. [If more than one, please list in order of the oldest equipment first, the newest last.] __________________________________________ F. SYSTEMS WITHOUT SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY [If Your System Does Not Use Surveillance Technology Please Complete This Section.] 45. If your agency is considering installing a surveillance system, where? [Check all that apply] 0 a. stations, platforms, shelters 0 b. vehicles 0 c. both 0 d. employee/administrative areas 0 e. along the ROW 0 f. not considering it