Thursday, June 23, 2005
New CCTV cameras are up and running
New digital Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have now been installed throughout the borough making it easier to keep a check on potential trouble areas.
St Edmundsbury has spent £258,583 on replacing the whole CCTV system in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill (the money has not come from Council Tax but comes from a special account funded by income from car parking fees over a number of years). Digital cameras, although less obtrusive in design, provide higher quality pictures, records of incidents can be found much more quickly than on video, images can be reviewed immediately by police so action can be taken more quickly (police can also monitor the cameras themselves) and the images are also easier to show in court as evidence. The cameras can also be used to help with traffic management.
Cllr Frank Warby, Cabinet member for Housing Health and Crime, said:
"As a Cabinet one of our priorities is tackling crime and disorder and this substantial investment in CCTV shows our commitment to delivering on our promises. Although we live in an area with the lowest crime rate in the country, people feel safer with CCTV cameras in place and this new system is operationally much faster and more efficient than before. This means trouble can be tackled more quickly and the new cameras will also add an effective deterrent in more areas."
New digital Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have now been installed throughout the borough making it easier to keep a check on potential trouble areas.
St Edmundsbury has spent £258,583 on replacing the whole CCTV system in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill (the money has not come from Council Tax but comes from a special account funded by income from car parking fees over a number of years). Digital cameras, although less obtrusive in design, provide higher quality pictures, records of incidents can be found much more quickly than on video, images can be reviewed immediately by police so action can be taken more quickly (police can also monitor the cameras themselves) and the images are also easier to show in court as evidence. The cameras can also be used to help with traffic management.
Cllr Frank Warby, Cabinet member for Housing Health and Crime, said:
"As a Cabinet one of our priorities is tackling crime and disorder and this substantial investment in CCTV shows our commitment to delivering on our promises. Although we live in an area with the lowest crime rate in the country, people feel safer with CCTV cameras in place and this new system is operationally much faster and more efficient than before. This means trouble can be tackled more quickly and the new cameras will also add an effective deterrent in more areas."
The 48 old CCTV cameras have already been replaced and cameras in seven new locations are due to come online within a couple of months. These will be at:
Lawson Place, Moreton Hall
Stamford Court shopping precinct, Bury St Edmunds
behind Chalkstone Community Centre, Haverhill
junction of Risbygate Street and St Andrews Street North, Bury St Edmunds
junction of Tayfen Road and Station Hill, Bury St Edmunds
Christmas Maltings, Camps Road, Haverhill
Eastgate Street, Bury St Edmunds
The current analogue system was installed in 1995
With the new cameras there will be 55 cameras and one mobile camera in the borough.
They are all monitored from the CCTV control room in Bury St Edmunds.- The system has one operator during the day and two at peak times, late evenings and weekends.
The location of cameras reflects the fact that Haverhill has a lower crime rate than Bury St Edmunds.
