Members of Havant Borough Council’s Cabinet today agreed to the installation of new CCTV cameras to combat crime and antisocial behaviour in Waterlooville Town Centre.
Working closely with local retailers and Hampshire Police, Havant Borough Council identified that crimes such as vandalism, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour were happening in the town centre, but not being consistently reported.
Engagement with residents also identified antisocial behaviour as one of the key problem areas in the town.
The cabinet agreed that the proposal for four new cameras to be installed in areas known to experience issues will act a deterrent. It will also give the police the evidence they require that could lead to convictions.
With the aim of increasing the public’s feeling of safety by deterring such activities, £25,000 of United Kingdom Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has been secured to pay for the project.
Councillor Gwen Robinson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Lead for Communities and Housing said. “Police research of reported incidents in Waterlooville Town Centre has identified in excess of one hundred incidents in the area over the past six months including 48 public order matters, 22 incidents of shoplifting, 12 incidents of theft from the person, four incidents of criminal damage including one of arson. The police have faced evidential difficulties due to the lack of direct evidence of those responsible and have requested CCTV coverage of the area.
“As well as agreeing to the installation of CCTV we will continue to support the work of the Partnership Action Group.”
“As part of our Corporate Strategy, we pledged to design and implement a new preventative enforcement approach focusing on triage to improve the quality of place, addressing long standing issues and, where necessary, to consider CCTV installation to improve safety. We have now developed and adopted a borough-wide CCTV policy.