A survey of how or whether councils on the south coast are doing public space CCTV surveillance shows a spectrum from pulling out of such spending, to looking to invest.
Havant Borough Council has installed CCTV cameras have been installed in Leigh Park and Havant itself. A mix of static and deployable cameras have been installed at 12 sites, including in the Greywell Shopping Centre, Lidl and the library in Leigh Park, and the Tidworth Road car park. The council says that the locations were chosen based on anti-social behaviour (ASB) data, while the locations of the deployables will be regularly reviewed to see they are in the right areas.
Councillor Richard Brown, Havant’s Cabinet Lead for Planning and Environment, said: “We know from our residents’ survey that feeling safe is hugely important to our residents, and we are committed to working with the police, traders and other partners to reduce crime and ASB. We want our borough to be a safe and welcoming place, and these CCTV cameras should not only act as a deterrent to ASB and crime but will also be a valuable investigative tool for the police.
“Using the deployable cameras in ASB hotspots alongside increased high visibility patrols and joint working with the police will enable us to focus our resources where they will make the most difference.”
District Commander for Havant, Chief Inspector Alex Charge said: “I am very happy about the installation of CCTV cameras in Leigh Park and Havant and how this will improve our ability to combat crime in the area. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, along with our partners at Havant Borough Council, are committed to serving our communities and continuing to tackle anti-social behaviour in Leigh Park, and having this additional resource in place will be an excellent tool to help us do this.”
Eastleigh
Elsewhere in Hampshire, at Eastleigh Borough Council the CCTV service is in doubt after an October 2024 council report described the system as ‘not fit for purpose’; after a public consultation on the ageing system a year ago. The report to the council’s cabinet said that ‘the council’s CCTV infrastructure offers limited public protection at a significant cost for a non-statutory service. The system also provides limited coverage and may provide an unrealistic perception of service’.
Sidmouth
In Devon, Sidmouth Town Council has been considering procurement of re-deployable or solar-powered surveillance cameras, prompted by recent vandalism: to toilets, play equipment at The Ham and repeated damage to electrical equipment at the Skatepark and Manstone recreational ground. A report to the council pointed to a re-deployable CCTV at nearby Exmouth Town Council. The report stated: “These systems offer great flexibility, allowing for rapid relocation to areas experiencing increased incidents of vandalism.” Exmouth used 4G IR speed domes with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) from the supplier WCCTV to monitor and deter anti-social behaviour on the seafront. “Such systems can be monitored remotely and provide high-definition footage, aiding in both deterrence and evidence collection. These are self-contained CCTV systems on a pole or tripod and can be rented or bought. They are suitable if vandalism hotspots change over time or if high visibility is required for deterrence but come with a higher unit cost compared to other systems,” the report added.
Kent
A particular focus by Canterbury City Council is against ‘graffiti tagging’ in public space. Recently it appealed for public help to identify a tagger at work across the district. The council’s Environmental Crime staff, Graffiti Officers and CCTV operators have worked on cases that have led to court fines; tagging breaches the council’s Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
Photo by Mark Rowe: Canterbury city centre.
