Elim Christian Centre – CCTV Privacy Policy
Policy Owner: Privacy Officer
Approving Authority: ECC Oversight Board
Agency Information: Elim Christian Centre Trust:
Address : 159 Botany Road, Botany Downs, Auckland 2010
Phone : 09 538 0368
Email : [email protected]
Elim Christian Centre (ECC) operates Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) systems across our church and educational campuses. We are committed to protecting the privacy, dignity, and safety of our congregants, students, staff, and visitors. This policy outlines how we collect, store, use, and protect personal information captured via our CCTV network, ensuring compliance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and Information Privacy Principle 3A (IPP 3A).
1. Purpose of Collection (Why we use CCTV)
CCTV cameras are installed in public and semi-public spaces across our campuses (such as entry points, car parks, main corridors, and high-value asset zones). The primary purposes for collecting this footage are:
To ensure the physical safety and security of staff, students, volunteers, and visitors.
To deter crime, vandalism, and unauthorized access to church property.
To assist in the objective investigation of security incidents, health and safety events, or criminal activity.
Note on Religious Sensitivity: CCTV is strictly used for security and asset protection. It is never used to monitor individual worship styles, religious participation, or to track attendance metrics.
2. What We Collect & Data Classification
Our CCTV system records video footage only. To respect the sanctity of private prayer, pastoral care, and personal conversation, audio recording is strictly disabled across all cameras on all sites. Cameras are intentionally positioned to avoid areas where individuals have a high expectation of privacy, such as counseling rooms, bathrooms, and changing areas.
3. Data Retention and Storage
30-Day Storage Cycle: CCTV footage is stored securely on local/cloud network video recorders. Footage is automatically overwritten on a rolling 30-day cycle.
Extended Retention: Footage is only retained beyond 30 days if it has been formally “tagged” and exported by the ECC Privacy Officer in relation to an active security investigation or a request by law enforcement.
Note on Data Classification Framework Alignment: In strict compliance with the ECC Data Privacy & Protection Policy (ECC-PRIV-001), all captured video footage from physical campus CCTV systems is explicitly classified as Tier 3: Highly Sensitive Data. It is subject to our highest level of technical and operational safeguards to protect against unauthorized access or exposure.
4. Access and Security
Access to live and recorded footage is heavily restricted using a tiered permission hierarchy to ensure maximum security:
Mandatory Prerequisite: In accordance with church-wide integration rules, all authorized staff and volunteers must have a signed CCTV User Access Agreement on file prior to viewing or interacting with any footage.
Site Viewers: Authorized site staff/volunteers have restricted, mobile-app-only viewing access to specific feeds relevant to their immediate security roles. They cannot view desktop consoles, download, or export footage.
System Administrators & ECC Privacy Officer: Full operational access, including the sole authority to download or export footage, is strictly restricted to System Administrators and the ECC Privacy Officer.
5. Disclosure to Third Parties & Media Protocols
Footage will not be shared with third parties unless:
It is requested by, or being provided to, the NZ Police or law enforcement agencies to assist with the investigation or prosecution of an offence.
Disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious threat to public health or individual safety.
Critical Protocol (ECC-SEC-002 Integration): Our people are strictly prohibited from independently distributing or sharing CCTV footage. All external, third-party, media, or formal authority requests for security footage must be immediately referred directly to the Privacy Officer.
6. Your Rights: Accessing Your Footage
Under Information Privacy Principle 6 (IPP 6), you have the right to request access to any personal information we hold about you, including CCTV footage in which you are identifiable.
To make an access request, please contact our Privacy Officer directly:
Email: [email protected]
Please note: To protect the privacy of other individuals, any footage released to an applicant may be edited or blurred to obscure the identities of other people captured in the frame.