Borough wide CCTV cameras which are managed and operated by North East Lincolnshire Council’s delivery partner Equans, have supported emergency services 699 times across a three month period.
From July to September this year, footage from the £2.2 million system, introduced in January last year, was used to help police catch people drug dealing as well as recording a number of Anti-Social Behaviour related crimes.
With over 130 cameras across North East Lincolnshire, the control room is able to capture events as they happen, but also store footage to be used retrospectively by emergency services as evidence.
In July, CCTV was used 251 times to support an emergency incident – which is defined as an event attended by Emergency Services. In August, CCTV helped with 255 emergencies and 193 in June.
Across July, the cameras captured a number of crimes from vandalism to assault. On Sunday, 14 July, cameras were used to follow a person spray painting various objects with footage used to direct police or used as evidence.
On the same day, the Council’s CCTV helped to identify drug dealing taking place in the town centre. Operatives informed police of the possible incident before the person on camera was apprehended. They were subsequently found to be in possession of suspected drugs.
CCTV footage captured a number of other incidents throughout August as well. On Saturday, 3 August, it helped in the arrest of two people that had been captured fighting. Later that month, it was involved in the arrest of someone wanted for a violent robbery.
In September, CCTV cameras captured three significant pieces of footage. The first led to the arrest of a person wanted for three separate offences; another was for the arrest of someone carrying a knife and the other in relation to a person in possession of a machete.
Speaking about this success, Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “It’s great to see how much of an impact our cameras have had.
“They are an invaluable resource not only to us, but to the emergency services who rely on them for their investigations and incidents.
“However, none of this would be possible without the hard work of our operatives monitoring the cameras. The team are the unsung heroes of our CCTV network and the work they do is essential in helping to keep the borough safe.
“People need to understand that these aren’t here for looks. This system is paramount in helping keep our town centre safe and it’s the epitome of our zero tolerance policy as a Council.”
Superintendent Gary Foster said: “CCTV cameras are a fantastic asset, helping to swiftly get officers to an area where an offence is occurring preventing things from escalating.
“They also help us to secure vital evidence to assist with any subsequent investigations and court proceedings, helping to bring offenders to justice.
“We work very closely with our partners to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, helping to keep our communities safe and this is another great tool to help us do exactly that.
“The work that the camera operators do ensures that our area remains a great place to live, work and visit and I want to thank them for their hard work and commitment, supporting our teams in protecting our communities.”
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