CCTV

Dirty Harry · CCTV

Rocke mentions CCTV in the dog fouling post How effective is it does anyone know? I've heard there is only one operator covering a huge area and many serious incidents are missed

martyn142

I think CCTV is as much about deterrence as actually catching anyone. After all, a baseball hat and hoodie and there isn't much CCTV can do to identify anyone. Not that I'm being hoodie-ist Laughing

Carolyn

Then they run round the corner out of site of the camera and swop jackets and hats even if you pinpoint a particular group you can never identify the one that commited the offence.

They don't worry about the cameras and are long gone before the police arrive

Rocke

Hi Harry.

The cameras are a mix of 'fixed' and 'automated' as far as I know.
This means that some are moved manually and some are programmed to roam about.

I don't know too much about BG's apart from having visited the CCTV Control Room but it's pretty comprehensive.

The main aspect isn't actually catching felons at it, although clearly they do work in a proactive way with the police to notify them of incidents. I think I'm right in saying the main use is in the investigation of ( alleged) crimes. The police review CCTV footage for evidence.

An example was the murder over in Tredegar some months back ( the trial was a couple of months ago I think ), where CCTV evidence ws incontrovertable.

Regarding Carolyn's post it isn't as simple as that for them.
One of our CCTV operators was commended by the police for pointing out someone who had committed a crime.
He had a distinctive pair of trainers and the Op scoured the area on the cameras and found the guy, who was arrested and coughed, as it were.

The deterrent aspect is another important factor, but this depends upon the beaks coming down hard on perpetrators.
I think I'm right in saying that one of the first incidents caught on Aber's CCTV was a group of lads laying in to someone from out of town.
First time offences for some of them but it was still youth custody.

Mind you, back to Harry's original point, I had a car stolen from the Rugby Club Car Park.
No CCTV footage - it was pointing at the door of the club, after 1 in the morning.

Carolyn

From a friends experience that is if you can get the police to review the footage and they don't pass the buck on the buck on to the council becasue they don't have the time or manpower who in turn pass the buck back to the police and nobody bothers to review the footage. Maybe if it had been rape or murder Question

Dirty Harry

So the answer is they are not effective Then get rid of them and spend the savings on keeping the street lights burning light is a criminals worst enemy

Rocke

Not as simplistic as that I'm afraid Harry.

Firstly, lighting switch-off occurs at midnight, so anything happening before midnight - which is actually most of the crime - disproves the 'light is the enemy of the criminal' theory.

Next, CCTV is a government/WAG initiative, effectively funded by it.
So it's not something the council can simply switch off and put the money to other use.

The real issue is - as you've probably realised - maximising the usefulness of CCTV.
It's a bit like owning a car, pay good money for maintaining it and then use it very little.
A related issue of course is that you can't measure how effective it is, because no-one can read how many minds have been put off committing an offence because of CCTV's presence.
I know I helped stop a potential incident one night simply by pointing out to the group who were arguing angrily between themselves that CCTV was watching.
However, did I/it prevent a handbags at dawn or a murder ? We don't know.
I've also had a little p***k tell me that if it wasn't for the CCTV he'd have had me. I'd only walked about 10 yards towards him before a police car arrived. I looked up to see both cameras covering Church St. looking at us.
Coincidence, or an incident avoided ?

I've asked for the CCTV to be used in a sting on dog fouling but it's been pooh-poohed ( sorry ! ) by the fact that the manpower to compliment the CCTV isn't on hand.

It's the (lack of ) use of it that's ineffective, not the CCTV itself.

Dirty Harry

If maximising the use of CCTV is not achieved then it is not effective Statistics provided by the home office show crime such as burglary vehicle theft and vandalism occurs most frequently between 2am and 4am Lets get the funding initiative chaged so the money can be used to our best advantage

Carolyn

The incident I mentioned was youths thowing bricks at on coming traffic and causing criminal damage to a building well in view of a camera. The police were called to the incident (S) several times but they had scarpered by the time the police got there only to return an hour later and start again. The person reporting the incidents each time was hoping that if they were identified and caught it would stop.

There were a few other incidents I could mention that did prove fruitless. I know of one where a couple were openly making love on the Foundry bridge at 6- 7.30 in the morning, this went on for some time yet no police were called Laughing

Maybe the operators were too busy watching Laughing

Dirty Harry

If the couple were up for alfresco coupling at 6am good luck to them they did not deserved to be caught Was that the old or new bridge?

Carolyn

Why

Does it matter

martyn142

I think Harry was going to keep an eye on it, just in case it happens again Wink

Manawydan

Well who'd a thought it !!! Abertyleri, Swingersville !!

Are The CCTV tapes for sale per chance !! LMTO

Embarassed

jaybe

Does anyone know why they are putting a cctv up on the Slaughter house road? They have put the post in ready for it, unless of course its a post for something else, but its exactly the same post as they have the cameras on in town. If you look up on the mountain when you are driving up past Woolworths you can see it.

IAN(boco)jones

Carolyn

Car damage was the least of anyones worries didn't a man get killed on the heads of the Valley road with youths throwing stones.

IAN(boco)jones

I didn't make my point clear, sorry about that Carolyn, the brick throwing incident is a very serious crime, putting lives at risk, and i don't question that at all.
But all manner of criminal damage is being carried out and the police don't seem to eager to follow it up. their attitude is whether its a vehicle or other property its simply not worth the bother.
And even if they catch someone the courts usually let them off with a slap on the wrist.
Purely on lack of funding i believe many lesser crimes are getting a blind eye turned on them.

martyn142

I agree Ian. When we tolerate 'lesser' crimes it gives the wrong message and it's litttle surprise if people try to push things further. 'Zero tolerance' is what I thnk we need.

Dirty Harry

This is not a critisism Ian but there is no such thing as a lesser crime Every crime should have a punishment to suit it I fully agree with Martyn regarding zero tolerance I beleive this has worked successfully worldwide

IAN(boco)jones

I am fully in favour of zero tolerance to Harry, and it isn't me that sets them as lesser crimes but the Authorities, as i believe they categorize them very much like in America misdemeanour's rather than felonies.
Whats the point in giving someone 6 months if they serve only 4,make them serve the full term however long it is, and don't make it easy for them.
There are to many liberal do-gooder's around these days, that is why the prisons are overflowing because they are not a deterrent, more of a holiday camp.

Dirty Harry

A report reveals that cctv was used to solve less than 1 crime for every 1000 cctv cameras in London

Rocke

Rocke