From left to right - Commissioner Henry alongside Mayor Rowan Bird, Rushcliffe neighbourhood policing Inspector Tim Cuthbert, local business owner Kate Stephenson and Rushcliffe Borough Council's portfolio holder for Community and Safety Rob Inglis
A busy market town is set to be made even safer by the addition of seven new CCTV cameras.
Bingham in Rushcliffe, which boasts a popular assortment of retail outlets, bars and restaurants will see the installation of CCTV covering the marketplace, main precinct, and central car park in a bid to tackle antisocial behaviour, vehicle crime, and violence against women and girls.
The new CCTV cameras will also give people an added peace of mind when they are out in these public spaces.
The state-of-the-art high-definition cameras allow operators to identify any incidents of antisocial behaviour taking place and notify authorities so that they may intervene. The cameras also feature a sophisticated night vision so that troublemakers can’t hide – no matter the time of day.
Rushcliffe Borough Council is due to install the cameras in the next few months, as part of a series of measures made possible after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured a further £1m from the Home Office’s Safer Streets scheme.
In total £333,000 will be spent across the South Nottinghamshire Community Safety Partnership area, which also includes Beeston town centre and Arnot Hill Park in Gedling.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “Bingham is a beautiful town – with a thriving marketplace, and we are keen to ensure that residents and business owners alike can feel safe when out and about.
“These seven brand new CCTV cameras will help to improve public safety in the town and could help to attract new visitors and businesses to come to Bingham.
“I’m grateful that through Safer Streets we are able to bring in additional investment to make our public spaces safer, in addition to the great work already being done by Nottinghamshire Police and local partners such as Rushcliffe Borough Council.”
The previous round of funding saw the Trent Bridge area in West Bridgford receive funding to tackle issues on the high street by implementing innovative schemes such as Safer Streets wardens, free home security devices, a shop watch radio scheme, new automatic number plate recognition cameras, and much more.
The action in this specific area, saw house burglary reduce by 46% and vehicle crime drop by 44%, while antisocial behaviour has fallen by 25%.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis said: “Bingham is among our growing communities, and with partners at Bingham Town Council, we very much welcome this investment that will help make the town centre even safer.
“It will play a key part in lowering any anti-social behaviour or instances of crime and act as a deterrent giving residents and business owners that added peace of mind Bingham is a great place to live and work.”
“Anything that can help deter antisocial behaviour is better for Bingham!”
The Mayor Councillor Rowan Bird, said: “The Safer Streets 5 funding is warmly welcomed by the town council and we look forward to working with other key stakeholders to deliver the new CCTV scheme that we hope will prevent crime and make residents feel safer in our town centre.”
Inspector Tim Cuthbert, District Commander for Rushcliffe, said: “We are really pleased that Bingham is set to benefit from the latest round of Safer Streets funding.
“Bingham is a vibrant town and as a neighbourhood policing team we are doing everything we can to keep it a safe and pleasant place to live and work.
“We know the importance of high-quality CCTV in helping to reduce antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls, so it’s great to see this funding will go towards helping achieve this.
“Whether it’s the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner or local authorities such as Rushcliffe Borough Council, the police working closely with our partners plays a key role in reducing crime.
Local business owners have responded positively to the news of the new CCTV.
“The new system will offer reassurance to the both the local community and businesses alike. Another layer of reassurance in Bingham’s town centre”, said Kate Stephenson who runs The Style Room in Bingham market.
“Projects like Safer Streets and the funding that comes with them can be hugely beneficial, so we are really grateful for this ongoing support.”
Local business owner Caroline Harbunson, who runs Caroline’s Watches and Dials in Bingham said: “I think the new HD-CCTV cameras are a really good idea, it makes everybody feel safer – especially on the market place.
Posted on Monday 18th December 2023