SIA CCTV Operator Practice Questions — All Questions

A CCTV operator should carry out surveillance:

• a.Based on personal prejudice
• b.Professionally, impartially, and lawfully✓
• c.Only on people they dislike
• d.Randomly with no purpose

Operators must act professionally, impartially, and within the law.

Targeting an individual for surveillance based only on their race or appearance is:

• a.Discriminatory and unacceptable✓
• b.Good practice
• c.Required
• d.Efficient

Surveillance must not be based on prejudice; it must be justified and non-discriminatory.

A key personal quality for a CCTV operator is:

• a.Ignoring detail
• b.Sleeping on shift
• c.Concentration and attention to detail✓
• d.Avoiding records

Sustained concentration and attention to detail are essential.

CCTV operators primarily help to:

• a.Sell products
• b.Entertain the public
• c.Replace all police
• d.Deter, detect, and respond to incidents and support safety✓

CCTV supports crime deterrence/detection and public safety.

Under data-protection principles, CCTV footage of individuals should be:

• a.Shared freely with anyone
• b.Handled lawfully, kept secure, and only for as long as necessary✓
• c.Kept forever
• d.Posted online

Personal data must be processed lawfully, kept secure, and retained only as needed.

CCTV surveillance of public spaces should be:

• a.Proportionate and for a legitimate purpose✓
• b.Unlimited and for any reason
• c.Hidden with no signage where required
• d.Used for personal curiosity

Surveillance must be proportionate, justified, and for a legitimate purpose.

'Directed surveillance' of a specific person generally requires:

• a.No thought at all
• b.Nothing
• c.Proper authorisation and a lawful purpose✓
• d.Personal preference

Targeted surveillance needs appropriate authorisation and a lawful basis.

Requests from the public to access footage of themselves should be:

• a.Always refused
• b.Ignored
• c.Given instantly to anyone
• d.Handled through the correct data-protection procedure✓

Access requests are handled via proper data-protection procedures.

When following an incident with a camera, the operator should:

• a.Lose the subject quickly
• b.Keep the subject in view and maintain clear, usable footage✓
• c.Zoom randomly
• d.Turn the monitor off

Maintain the subject in view with clear footage that could serve as evidence.

Good-quality evidential footage requires:

• a.Correct focus, framing, and functioning equipment✓
• b.Blurry images
• c.No time/date
• d.Random angles

Clear focus, framing, and accurate time/date support evidential value.

If a camera fault is noticed, the operator should:

• a.Ignore it
• b.Hide it
• c.Report and log the fault so it can be fixed✓
• d.Break another camera

Faults should be reported and logged to maintain the system.

Accurate time and date settings on cameras are important because they:

• a.Look nice
• b.Are optional
• c.Do not matter
• d.Support the reliability of footage as evidence✓

Correct time/date underpins the evidential reliability of footage.

When an incident occurs, the operator should keep:

• a.No records
• b.An accurate, timed log of what was observed✓
• c.Only personal opinions
• d.A blank page

An accurate, timed incident log records observations for evidence.

Footage that may be used as evidence should be:

• a.Preserved securely and handled to maintain its integrity✓
• b.Deleted
• c.Edited freely
• d.Shared on social media

Evidential footage must be preserved securely with a clear handling trail.

An incident log should record:

• a.Guesses only
• b.Nothing useful
• c.Facts: what, where, when, and who was involved✓
• d.Only the weather

Logs record objective facts — what happened, where, when, and who.

When reporting an incident to colleagues or police, the operator should be:

• a.Vague
• b.Clear, accurate, and factual✓
• c.Emotional and biased
• d.Silent

Communication must be clear, accurate, and factual.

Radio communication should be:

• a.Concise, clear, and professional✓
• b.Long and rambling
• c.Full of slang
• d.Ignored

Radio use should be concise, clear, and professional.

Handover at the end of a shift should include:

• a.Nothing
• b.A joke only
• c.Briefing the next operator on ongoing incidents and issues✓
• d.Turning everything off

A proper handover briefs the incoming operator on ongoing matters.