Funding means green light for extra spy cams - The Evesham Observer

Funding means green light for extra spy cams

Evesham Editorial 24th Feb, 2018   0

PLANS to invest £135,000 in CCTV coverage across South Worcstershire have been confirmed.

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has agreed a three year deal with Wychavon to fund the 24-hour around-the-clock camera monitoring up until 2020.

As part of the agreement Wychavon will receive £65,000 a year to continue to run the service from its Pershore offices on behalf of itself and Worcester City Councils. Of that some £45,000 a year will be invested in upgrading dated and obsolete cameras to the latest technology.

Priority will be given to those overlooking known crime hotspots.




Wychavon has been responsible for the service for the last 18 years and more than 700 requests were made for footage of incidents in 2017 alone.

But the funding deal was coming to an end so a panel of councillors was asked to review the service and consider its impact and future need.


More than 800 residents were asked for their opinion on CCTV in last year’s Worcestershire Viewpoint Survey. A total of 70 per cent of them agreed the system made them feel safer, 77 per cent agreed it helped to reduce crime and just ten per cent stated they believed public CCTV was an invasion of privacy.

A dedicated workshop event was also held where partners and interested groups were invited to submit their views, while the issue was also debated by Full Council. On both occasions significant support was declared for maintaining and enhancing the CCTV service.

As well as recommending Wychavon accepts the funding offer from the Police and Crime Commissioner, the review panel also put forward a proposal for town and parish councils to suggest new sites for CCTV cameras, if they fund them.

The system will also be re-reviewed in March 2020 when the current funding deals end.

The recommendations will be put before the executive board for formal approval.

Coun Tony Miller, Chairman of the CCTV Review Panel, said the review showed there was significant support for the CCTV from the public which saw it as a valuable crime-fighting tool.

“We’re delighted an agreement has been reached to not only allow 24-hour CCTV monitoring to continue but to invest in upgrading the network as well, which will provide further reassurance and protection to the public.”

Visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/viewpoint to find out more about Worcestershire Viewpoint where residents can have their say on services.

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