‘There will be no place to hide’ – New CCTV van to tackle antisocial behaviour in our city neighbourhoods

A brand-new CCTV van with the capacity to capture a 360-degree view of an area will be deployed to tackle antisocial behaviour in our city neighbourhoods.

The van – which will be staffed by specially-trained officers – will be deployed to areas identified by residents of having a significant or emerging ASB problem.

The CCTV van is designed to improve resident safety by acting as a deterrent but also capturing real time evidence.

Areas such as Forest Recreation Ground, where there has been reports of anti-social behaviour including safety fears at night, will benefit from the vehicle.

The vehicle, which can be rapidly deployed by neighbourhood officers, has a state of the art 360-degree dual view camera system.

This means it has the capacity to view an entire area, zoom in directly on offenders, identify any potential threats or capture the direction that offenders leave a scene.

The camera also has a telescopic mast, which can reach a height of more than three metres.

The footage can also be viewed remotely from the force control room, allowing, where necessary for real-time information to be passed onto officers.

Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden said: “This funding, part of a £1.5 million grant awarded to my office by the Home Office, has been crucial in tackling serious violence and antisocial behaviour in areas where they are most prevalent.

"Tackling serious violence and antisocial behaviour is central to my Police and Crime Plan, and I am committed to delivering safer streets and stronger communities across Nottinghamshire.

"By focusing resources where they are needed most, including hotspot patrols and innovative solutions like the new CCTV van, we are already seeing positive results. Serious violence has fallen by 6%, and antisocial behaviour is down by 8.2% in these targeted areas.

“This initiative sends a clear message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect residents and ensure they feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods.”

The £130,000 project – funded by just under £95,000 from the Home Office – will be out in the city neighbourhoods from this month.

Neighbourhood Inspector Paul Ferguson, who is responsible for getting the project off the ground, said: “One of the biggest concerns for our residents is anti-social behaviour.

“This can be everything from aggressive begging, intimidating behaviour by groups of people, criminal damage or drug taking to name a few.

“Residents want to feel safe in their neighbourhoods and shouldn’t have to experience this type of behaviour where they live and work.

“That’s why we are committed to sorting this problem out.

“This brand-new vehicle will help us capture this behaviour in real-time and will ensure those who wish to cause these problems are dealt with immediately.

“For example, Forest Recreation Ground is a large space, with lots of cut-throughs, and places to hide. Criminals will use these areas for these very reasons.

“With this new piece of equipment, there will be no place to hide.

“This new vehicle will not replace uniformed officers who will continue to patrol these areas. However, it provides us with a full picture of the area, allowing us to zoom in so we can capture a problem, sometimes before it occurs.

“This is also not a van that we will just leave in an area like a mobile CCTV camera. It will be occupied by specially trained officers who will be actively searching for offenders.

“We couldn’t be clearer as a force. We won’t tolerate ASB in our neighbourhoods.

“If you want to continue to cause harm to your communities then we will continue to pursue you, capture your actions in real-time, and take action against you.”