CCTV helping catch criminals
£75k cameras‘capturing evidence’
New CCTV cameras have already been catching alleged criminals in the act.
Earlier this year, Stirling Council acquired 10 deployable cameras, at a cost of £75,000, which can be used across the area.
At the authority’s council’s latest environment and housing committee, members were told one of the first cameras deployed had captured evidence relating to a domestic assault.
Officials said: “Without this there was no other evidence but the images recorded provided enough evidence to arrest and charge the perpetrator of the crime.”
Cameras have also been installed in a number of city centre underpasses.
Enforcement team manager Lorraine MacGillivray said: “CCTV cameras have now been installed and were operational on October 16 in the Customs roundabout underpasses.
“Unfortunately it became apparent that the flooding during the summer had destabilised the camera pole on the Craigs roundabout, which required urgent repairs to allow linking in with the new underpass cameras at this location. This work was completed allowing full operation of these cameras on October 31. There are still some power issues but our own electricians, Scottish Power and the CCTV providers are working on this.
“Procurement of additional cameras for the underpasses at Wellgreen, St
Ninians roundabout, St Ninians Church and Broom Road is in process and these will be installed by December 31.”
Trossachs and Teith councillor Martin Earl felt some static cameras were also needed in the rural areas as well as the redeployables.
And he added that Police Scotland needed to “be part of the financial solution”.
“This shouldn’t just fall at the door of the council,” he added. “Will there be any such discussions between council officers and Police Scotland about the opportunity to purchase static cameras that can be used in specific locations in rural areas where there is not necessarily a big record but where there’s a good strategic reason for them - Callander and Aberfoyle main streets for example?”
Officials said early conversations had just taken place with Police Scotland about the cost of the additional cameras and the CCTV operators to monitor existing cameras, and that they had received “an informal positive response”.
Senior infrastructure manager Brian Roberts said: “There’s good collaboration with the police on CCTV but also on a range of other issues.
“We are not currently pursuing fixed camera installations outwith the city centre. If intelligence comes back and tells us there’s still ongoing issues despite the CCTV that needs to be a discussion with police. With fixed cameras antisocial behaviour can move the issue somewhere else. This is not just for the city centre and rural areas but also communities in the more urban area.”
Committee chair Councillor Jim Thomson said the previous council Tory/Labour administration had withdrawn from the former camera partnership with the police but he was pleased there seemed to be collaborative working.
Labour councillor Danny Gibson said: “I particuarly have been pushing CCTV since I became a councillor.
The camera partnership had had its day and there were cameras being used from the nineties. Investment wasn’t going in.”
He said he didn’t want to dissuade officers from their efforts, but added: “The police do want to have their cake and eat it but we took the view that we are Stirling Council and have a responsibility to our citizens. We have put the investment in to protect our communities.
“I don’t think we will have much luck but good luck with it nonetheless.”
Officers said cameras had been deployed at areas targeted by environmental crime such as flytipping including Sheriffmuir Road, the A811 Killearn to Devil’s Pulpit and a location near Craigforth on way out to Aberfoyle and Callander.
Bannockburn councillor Alasdair Macpherson said while he understood the thinking behind placing CCTV in underpasses, there was a fine line between having too much CCTV and encroaching on civil liberties.
We have put the investment in to protect our communities