CCTV ‘hubs’ network to provide an ‘invaluable police resource’

A network of CCTV monitoring ‘hubs’ are being planned across Devon and Cornwall to provide “an invaluable resource for the police to investigate crime”.

“High quality and interconnected CCTV plays a major role in helping to keep people safe,” said Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez, who is allocating an extra £200,000 funding to increase CCTV capacity across the force area and encourage the development of the monitoring hubs.

“It is an invaluable resource for the police to investigate crime and enable emergency services to find and help vulnerable people.

“I want to support local authorities to better monitor their existing systems. It’s very much about building them into a hub, where you’ve got excellent staff monitoring CCTV on behalf of local authorities.

“This helps reduce the cost to them, it helps provide reassurance to the public, and it also protects police officers on the street and ensures we have some good evidence when we need it.”

A centralised CCTV monitoring hub and service is already provided by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service. With nine Cornish towns currently connected – and the capacity to extend it significantly – this initiative has already gone a long way towards rationalising CCTV provision in Cornwall.

Councillor Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet member for Communities, said: “Not only does it benefit the fire service because we can monitor situations when there are fires, but we can collate the data for the police. This saves the police officers time when they can be better employed out on the streets.”

Ms Hernandez said the development of the hub by Cornwall Council presents opportunities for other local authorities, which can face challenges in establishing and maintaining local CCTV systems – in particular the capital purchase of equipment and the complexities and costs associated with monitoring systems. She intends to work with them to develop the model and deliver similar interconnected systems in Devon.

Ms Hernandez said CCTV can play a key role in supporting community safety by:

•Providing reassurance for the local community, including the public and police officers working in those areas, particularly in the evening and night-time economy;

• Supporting the police in investigations and detection;

• Contributing to the evidence base for civil actions – such as public space protection orders, premises closure notices and other orders to prevent anti-social behaviour; and

• Safeguarding vulnerable people, such as missing persons.

Councillor Tom Wright, East Devon District Council, said: “There is no doubt good CCTV schemes are a deterrent and also provide valuable evidence post-incident.”