I have recently published my views on CCTV here and this has met with mixed reactions from members of the public. Not one to ruin the party, I propose the concept of a wide network of community manned CCTV cameras.
What’s different?
Manned CCTV is a different beast to an unmanned system. Live images being monitored would enable a responsive approach to crime, unlike an unmanned system which is ‘closing the stable door after the horse has bolted’ It would have a far-reaching coverage, with up to 64 cameras networked together with the monitoring carried out by those who wanted CCTV and are happy to the eyes of the Police, perhaps those involved in neighbourhood watch schemes? (subject to enhanced DBS checks).
The costs would be very low if residents were happy to allow access to their existing CCTV system video streams, and data could be stored in central point.
This is obviously a high-level approach to the community CCTV system concept.
This system could be far superior to any that a Council would ever undertake and I look forward to residents comments.