Council cutbacks could see town’s CCTV switched off
Maidstone could be set to lose its static CCTV cameras as part of a move to cut costs and improve efficiency.
The county town and its environs are currently protected by 112 cameras, which are monitored from a control centre in Strood.
It is part of a joint partnership scheme with Medway, Swale and Gravesham Borough Councils.
But the arrangement is up for renewal soon and there have been suggestions at the highest level in the borough council that the contract, which costs £225,000 a year, should not be renewed.
The council is under pressure to save money wherever it can and some have argued spending money on CCTV, although it may reduce crime, is actually helping the police save money, not the council.
In an efficiency review of council services presented to the borough’s policy and resources committee on Wednesday, where all the borough’s activities were ranked as either gold, silver or bronze in terms of value for money, the community safety expenditure was classed as giving only bronze efficiency.
Some have suggested part of the money could better be used to provide police officers with individual body cameras to aid prosecutions.
However, many councillors are said to be totally against the idea and want to see the CCTV cameras retained.
No formal motion has yet been put to councillors, but the borough is currently running a consultation on public safety, which asks a lot of searching questions on the value people place on the cameras and their most desirable location.
It is expected the results from the survey will be used to justify either the retention or the abandonment of CCTV.
One councillor, who is keen to see the system retained, said: “If people value CCTV in Maidstone they should make sure they complete this survey and say so.”
In 2012, CCTV operations moved from Maidstone to Strood to a hub which also monitors Medway, Gravesend and Swale.
There are 750 cameras across these areas.
All responses to the CCTV survey have to be received by Sunday.
Filling in the online survey takes only a few minutes. Visit www.maidstone.gov.uk and follow the tags for consultations.