Southend CCTV to Combat Crime

CCTV system to be installed in Southend to combat crimes.

18:25 30 January 2018

In the past six months, several serious crimes have occurred in Ambleside Drive, Southend. Some of the victims are two teenagers and a woman in her 30s who were robbed at knifepoint. A man in his 40s was also seriously injured when he attempted to stop a gang of four men acting antisocially before he was viciously assaulted.

 

The council is taking measures to combat crimes and have released plans of installing a CCTV system in the area.

 

The decision was championed by Thorpe ward councillor Martin Terry. He said: “We pursued this issue in response to the sheer volume of crime and I’m pleased to confirm this is now definitely going to happen.

 

“Hopefully this will be vital in deterring crime and collecting evidence in the future.

 

“But a camera won’t stop an armed robbery from happening. We still need more police on our streets.”

 

Ann Holland, Southend councillor responsible for culture, tourism and the economy, said: “Southend was an early adopter of CCTV and we have one of the most comprehensive networks in the region.

 

“But because we adopted early, the technology is now getting quite old, and we are investing in replacing the system to ensure they are effectively tackling crime and antisocial behaviour.

 

“We reviewed which areas of the town that should be covered by CCTV as part of a public consultation held last autumn.

 

“This took into account changes in where crime and anti-social behaviour occur and changes in the night-time economy, such as the growth of Leigh as an evening destination for example.