Spy cameras cut crime

The introduction of security cameras in Newark and Sherwood has led to significant reductions in several types of crime.

The level of shop theft, vehicle crime in council carparks, street robberies and town-centre burglaries have all fallen since cameras were introduced in 1999.

There are now minimal levels of crime at St Mark’s shopping precinct, Newark.

In a report, Mr Ian Harrison, the council’s strategic manager for risk and resilience, said the precinct previously had serious levels of crime including criminal damage that was causing the viability of the precinct to be questioned.

Mr Harrison said district wide, cameras had been used to detect and arrest individuals connected to significant crimes such as cash machine scams, armed robbery, drugs and in the investigation of terrorism.

He said they had also been used in the intervention and prevention of suicides, identifying lost or collapsed people, reporting dangerous conditions of buildings such as fires, and the identification and reporting of suspect packages and wanted criminals.

The scheme started in Newark with 18 cameras.

There are now 104 cameras, most of which are mounted on poles or wall brackets in urban areas including Newark, Balderton, Southwell, Ollerton and Clipstone.

There are 20 internet cameras that provide live pictures only monitored on activation.

The council also has a van containing a camera with night vision, a tannoy system and a monitoring and recording suite. There are six mobile cameras that can be installed quickly to lighting columns in response to crime and disorder.

The security camera system costs the council and its taxpayers £239,510 a year.

The report said national arrangements for the use of fibre optics and increased competition requirements of Ofcom meant the cost of BT transmission could rise from £40,000 to £160,000 by 2010.

Mr Harrison said other providers could follow suit and that would create significant cost problems and threaten the viability of many security camera locations and even whole schemes, including Newark and Sherwood.

He said the council’s security camera management was exploring potential alternatives such as wireless technology.

The council’s analogue system is to be updated to digital over the next three years and this has been included in the security camera budget.

Mr Harrison said there had been negative reports about the use of security cameras and a suggestion that the UK had the widest security camera surveillance in the world.

He said a large percentage of cameras were in or outside business premises and it was these that were often of poor quality and ill maintained.

He said council-owned system was generally effective and that communities still held security cameras in high esteem.

The security camera system was rated as the second most popular council service last year in questionnaires completed by a citizens’ panel.

Mr Harrison’s report will be presented to the policy overview and scrutiny committee on Monday.

Members will be asked to state specific areas they wish to scrutinise so officers can prepare detailed documents for consideration.

All councillors have been invited to visit the camera control room at Kelham Hall for an explanation of its operation and use.