The Community Safety and
Enforcement Manager and the CCTV Manager attended the meeting to
give an overview of the new CCTV cameras that had been installed in
Spalding and the benefits of the new cameras, which highlighted the
following key points:
- The South and East
Lincolnshire Councils Partnership worked with the Police and Crime
Commissioners office to secure funding through round 4 of the
Government’s Safer Street Fund which had a primary focus on
the protection of women and girls from violence, and feelings of
safety.
- The bid came after
the PCC Youth Commission engaged with 1000 young people who had
identified sexual harassment and street harassment as the biggest
threats to their safety.
- Street harassment and
stalking were also raised as issues at public engagement events
undertaken by the Safer Together team.
- The funding has
enabled the creation of ‘Safe Zones’ as routes that had
blanket CCTV coverage from nightclubs and public houses to all
recognised ranks, bus stops and pick up points.
- The new cameras were
in the same or very similar positions as the previous cameras and
each location had one roving camera and four static
cameras.
- Work was still being
completed and signage updated to reflect the new Safe
Zones.
- The funding would
also provide for the installation of new Artificial Intelligence
servers to enable police officers to search footage quickly using
details such as clothing descriptions and vehicle type.
- The cameras were
still being used in the same manner as the previous cameras until
new uses had been approved by the Data Protection
Officer.
Members raised the following
points:
- The cameras would
lead to crime reduction and prevention and while it would be
difficult to put figures to this, they would help people to feel
safer and also assist with the evening economy.
- Could the cameras be
used to assist with traffic enforcement?
- Officers explained
that it was possible to use the new features for that purpose in
the long-term.
- The server could
recognise a vehicle number plate, but it was not connected to a
Police ANPR database so would not be able to identify the owner of
the vehicle. That process would need to be handed over to the
Police.
- Did the cameras have
communication capabilities?
- Officers confirmed
that this function was not enabled.
- It was disappointing
that the communication capability had not been enabled as a CCTV
operator would be able to communicate directly with a person at
risk
- Officers responded to
say that was a very different role to what the cameras currently
performed, and a wider discussion with the Data Protection Officer
would need to take place for that capability to be
enabled.
- Had the safe spaces
for young women been advertised?
- Officers explained
that the installation was an eighteen-month long project across
different areas within the Partnership and that Spalding had been
the first area of the 3 councils within the S&ELCP where new
cameras had been installed.
- New signage would be
installed, in addition to current signage, to label areas as
‘Safe Zones’ and to detail who monitored the
cameras.
- Work was still
ongoing to test areas that may not be covered by the CCTV, and this
needed to be transparent on any signage installed.
- Could an app be
developed where people could see if they are in a safe zone and
could alert the CCTV operator if they felt unsafe near a
camera
- Officers responded
that a similar method had been tried in Lincoln so that a person
could directly contact the control room to look at a particular
camera, but it would be difficult to offer this service due to
staff resources.
- Posters advertising
the ‘Safe Zones’ could be displayed in
pubs.
- Did the locations of
the cameras appear as icons on Mapping Systems?
- Officers advised that
Lincolnshire Police had looked at various ways to develop those
types of icons, but they depended on a person having the app on
their phone before the incident occurred.
- Would Abbey Passage
be covered by CCTV?
- Officers confirmed
that the new cameras were in the same position as before, so Abbey
Passage was not covered.
- If a CCTV operator
noticed a person collapse, what was the procedure to get help to
them?
- Officers explained
that they would always try to get someone on the ground to assess
the situation. The person on the ground would then be responsible
for calling an ambulance if medical assistance was
required.
·
Could the cameras pick up facial features that could
identify someone?
Officers confirmed that the new
cameras were of a higher resolution so could better pick up facial
features and that evidence could then be used to prosecute
someone