Hundreds of cameras across a Merseyside borough will ensure the safety of residents and crack down on criminal behaviour.
Already, Knowsley Council has more than 950 cameras across the borough that are monitored 24/7. But a latest investment of £68,000 has been made into recruiting an additional three specialist staff who will be responsible for the monitoring CCTV coverage.
The new team members will provide additional monitoring of the cameras in Prescot, Huyton, Halewood and Kirkby during the evening and weekends, specifically looking out for antisocial behaviour. The control room has direct access to Merseyside Police’s Command and Control Room, meaning police can be immediately notified of any incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour occurring and police patrols can be deployed accordingly.
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Cllr Shelley Powell, Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods said: "Community safety is a huge priority and it’s crucial that we continue to invest in this priority area. We want our residents to know we are taking all measures possible to tackle antisocial behaviour in our town centres so they can visit these places, day and night, and feel safe and protected."
A further investment of £60,000 is also being made in Kirkby with the removal of more than 20 redundant CCTV columns. This comes following resident feedback that columns were unsightly. Kirkby’s CCTV network was enhanced in July last year, which saw additional investment and cameras installed in the town centre.
Superintendent Karl Baldwin, from Knowsley’s Local Policing Team added: "Our direct link with Knowsley Council’s Control Room has been a valuable resource in our continued and proactive work to address crime and antisocial behaviour in Knowsley. The continued investment from Knowsley Council demonstrates its commitment to building safer communities and gives us even further opportunity to build an intelligence picture of what is happening in our communities so we can respond accordingly."
It comes after two Liverpool neighbourhoods "plagued" by crime will receive over £750,000 of funding to install new CCTV, street lighting and fences. The money will be directed at projects focused on reducing crime in areas of Huyton and Picton
In Huyton, £367,000 of funding will be used to improve the safety of residents in Primrose Court, a housing estate which has suffered from high levels of crime and anti-social behaviour in recent years. A similar community safety project using an investment of £390,000 will also be undertaken in Picton.
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