From left: Geoff Carpenter, Service Manager for Public Protection at Rushcliffe Borough Council; Martin Hickey, Principal Officer for Community Safety & Licensing; Dave Banks, Deputy Chief Executive; and Inspector Rob Lawton, of Notts Police.
Going out in West Bridgford will soon be even safer thanks to plans to install six new CCTV cameras in a busy shopping and leisure destination.
The re-deployable cameras will go up on columns in the Central Avenue and Bridgford Road area as part of the Safer Streets scheme, which aims to prevent neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour and violence against women and girls.
The town, which boasts a popular stretch of retail outlets, bars and restaurants, already benefits from Safer Streets wardens, who patrol the area to tackle antisocial behaviour, as well as existing neighbourhood policing patrols.
The new CCTV cameras will give people an added peace of mind when they are out in these public spaces.
Rushcliffe Borough Council is due to install the cameras in the next few weeks, as part of a series of measures made possible after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured funding from the Home Office’s Safer Streets scheme.
“West Bridgford town centre is a vibrant place to go shopping, have a coffee or enjoy an evening out and these new CCTV cameras ensure that people have that extra reassurance when they visit,” said Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry.
“The great thing about Safer Streets is that it brings additional investment in making 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 cameras are re-deployable, meaning they can be easily moved to different street columns in different streets if there is a greater need elsewhere.
They will be monitored from a CCTV control room at Nottinghamshire Police’s Joint Force Headquarters, alongside camera footage from other Safer Streets local authority partner areas including Ashfield District Council and Newark and Sherwood District Council.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis said: “The main benefits are that we are able to protect people and support the town centre’s economic vitality.
“We know West Bridgford is a great place to visit and for people to spend some time, for business, shopping and leisure.
“It has evolved too – the leisure offer is much more than it once was. It is important we also evolve to provide appropriate community safety and reassurance and we think the cameras are a great way to do it and add to our existing tools.”
Inspector Rob Lawton, Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Rushcliffe, said the cameras would not only make people safer, but feel safer too.
“Whilst we have a low crime area we want to ensure it remains a safe place to live, work and visit,” he added.
“CCTV gives us an increased ability to see what’s happening in the area 24/7 and increase our ability to keep you safe.”
This latest initiative has been introduced after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured £3 million of Safer Streets funding from the Home Office in July for projects across the county that will help tackle neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as violence against women and girls.
Posted on Monday 27th February 2023