VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Who has been watching surveillance footage of public events in Vancouver? The city is having a tough time saying.

The BC Civil Liberties Association wants more transparency and accountability on when closed circuit television is being used by the city’s Emergency Management Department and who has access to the video.

After a Freedom of Information request, the Georgia Straight reports the City of Vancouver has not followed its own protocol and tracked that information, blaming it on un-logged email exchanges.

The BCCLA’s Micheal Vonn tells the paper many loud promises were made in 2005 when the cameras were first brought in and policies put in place, and this throws the public’s trust out the window. But on the streets of Vancouver, there doesn’t seem to be much concern.

“No, not really. This is not a police state and I don’t really see any signs it’s going to be. Just live and let live. If you want to rob a bank you’re going to be on film. If you’re not robbing a bank, what’s the problem?” asks Andreas.

“I’m originally from London where when you travel from East London to West London, you’re captured on image more than 100 times!” exclaims Cheryl. “At the end of the day, it’s there for your safety. It’s only got my image — what I look like. There’s so many people living here in Vancouver and they don’t have my personal information like my SIN number, my date of birth, my full name or any other details.”

The city tells the Georgia Straight that, in the past, CCTV requests and approvals were done by email and not tracked. They now log that information.