Devon & Cornwall Police and community safety partnership Safer Plymouth have welcomed funds from the Home Office’s ‘Safer Streets 4’ scheme to purchase a new CCTV van for the city of Plymouth.
The van will be used across the city to improve safety, particularly late at night.
The vehicle forms part of the police teams’ crime preventative measures to deter people from committing crime and to give people a greater sense of safety and reassurance. It will be used during the day and night and at various functions to record and monitor activity in the area in real time. It will also act as an additional vehicle to respond to emergencies.
The van is kitted out with advanced equipment, including two high definition 360-degree cameras that can be set to a height of 8-metres, capturing footage from all angles and up to ten kilometres away. The footage used can also be used in court as evidence.
Superintendent Emma Butler-Jones, Head of Crime Prevention Department said: “We will use the CCTV in areas identified as hotspots for antisocial behaviour and crime, particularly those that involve violence against women and girls. This is another tool that we can use to tackle crime before it happens, and if a crime does occur, we’ll be able to collect evidence to take action against those individuals.
“We know that having the van out on our streets works, acting as a strong crime deterrent. We have used one previously, which due to the equipment’s age had to be decommissioned.”
Superintendent Philip Williams, who heads up local policing in Plymouth said: “The added visibility this CCTV van provides will make our local community feel safer whether they are attending a large event or going about their daily lives. We believe its presence will start to make a positive difference straight away by proactively discouraging individuals from committing crime and helping our police teams respond quickly when we’re needed. I'm confident we will see improvements in public safety as we put this new technology to work.
“As a warning to anyone in Plymouth that has the view to offend, our officers will be doing all that they can to identify and arrest you. And a message to our community, we are thankful for your continued support - let’s keep working together to make Plymouth a safer place for all.”
Tryst Fentem, Project Lead, said: “The hard work and determination of our teams has been instrumental in securing the CCTV van. We’ve ensured that it is equipped with state-of-the-art technology so our teams can be as effective as possible when out on the streets to help prevent crime happening within our community now and in the future.”
The CCTV van is now operational.
If you are aware of anyone actively involved in crime you can report anonymously to Crimestoppers on Tel 0800 555 111.
This news story has been produced by Chesil Radio's News Team, for more information please visit: https://www.chesilradio.com