Strathclyde spotlight anti-social behaviour

Glasgow police will be trialling a new laser-like spotlight system mounted on CCTV cameras in a bid to curb instances of street crime.

The trial, which has not been widely publicised, was revealed by the Evening Times newspaper, and will deter criminals by shining a high intensity beam of light onto them. The system is tailor-made for police use and is thought to be a modified piece of hardware that is in use by the military. The technology, if widely implemented, would be managed by Glasgow charity Streetwatch. A spokeswoman for Glasgow police said: “At this stage we are looking to see if it is feasible. It’s still at an early stage and we are exploring the options.”

Adding a light source to cameras would be an extension of the existing camera network that has successfully added loud speakers; the ‘Metal Micky’ cameras can speak directly to suspicious individuals caught on camera, through a connection to the camera control room.