Agenda item

To provide the forum with an update on CCTV usage within the Spalding area

 (report of the Community Safety and Enforcement Manager enclosed)

The Portfolio Holder – Public Protection will be in attendance for this item.

The Chairman introduced the Portfolio Holder – Public Protection and the Community Safety and Enforcement Manager to present the CCTV and Data report to the Forum.

The Portfolio Holder - Public Protection clarified to the Forum that CCTV and Data figures were provided annually. The Portfolio Holder had subsequently requested for CCTV and Data figures to be produced quarterly.

The Community Safety and Enforcement Manager presented to the Forum the CCTV and Data report and asked the members if they had any questions.

• Had staffing at the Hub been increased to monitor the cameras?
  • All vacancies had been filled with an additional five volunteer spotters, this opportunity benefitted the volunteers, being an interesting and inclusive role and allowed the CCTV operators to be able to undertake other components of their job.
• Did the volunteer spotters have local knowledge of our district?
  • The Community Safety and Enforcement Manager responded that the volunteer spotters all received relevant training and soon acquired knowledge on the various areas.

• How did incidents get reported to the CCTV and Data Hub?
  • The Community Safety and Enforcement Manager clarified that only incidents where police felt that CCTV would be available came through to the hub, the police could request footage that may be deemed significant. It was advised that all incidents should be reported directly to the police.

• Why was there a spike in the figures for anti-social behaviour incidents in July?

• • Due to longer nights and an increase in the amount of public going out in the summer months, the CCTV and Data Hub notoriously saw a spike in the number of incidents reported.
• Would it be beneficial to employ additional staff in the summer months?
  • Staffing for CCTV monitoring was looked at during different periods of the year, including peak times. The patrolling patterns of other enforcement officers were also considered, for example, Kingdom Enforcement Officers, Community Wardens and Lincolnshire Police.
• Did Kingdom Enforcement Officers provide figures for each ward that they patrolled?
  • Currently Kingdom Enforcement Officers did not patrol every ward, although this would be rolled out in future months. Kingdom Enforcement Officers predominantly patrolled Spalding ward areas.
  • The monthly data report that was provided to the Portfolio Holder - Public Protection, identified each area patrolled, and was pinpointed into categories, for example, dog fouling, flytipping etc.

• Were the cameras by the sheep market toilets monitored by the CCTV Hub and were they positioned correctly to record the most effective footage?
  • The Community Safety and Enforcement Manager replied that the cameras were monitored by the Boston Hub, if any member had concerns regarding the positioning of the cameras the Community Safety and Enforcement Officer would be happy to speak to the member outside of the Spalding Town Forum.

• It was emphasized that members of the Forum should accept the invitation to visit the CCTV and Data Hub in Boston, it would be a worthwhile visit and an ideal opportunity to ask questions to the operatives.
• It was noted that CCTV was not just about detecting anti-social behaviour but could also aid in locating missing persons and had contributed to protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
• The Portfolio Holder - Public Protection added that the public felt safer with CCTV cameras.

Agreed:

That the report be noted.

The Chairman thanked the Portfolio Holder – Public Protection and the Community Safety and Enforcement Manager for presenting the report.