Citizens' CCTV
People in Chepstow could speak directly to the security camera control if proposals for its development go ahead.
Under the proposal – put to Chepstow Chamber of Trade by Monmouthshire council’s CCTV development officer Chris Norman – people could phone the control centre asking for incidents to be filmed.
He said: “We have the signs telling people that CCTV is operating, a number could be added to them allowing people to talk to the control centre.
“If someone sees a thief coming out of a shop or there is a fight in town then the control centre can be alerted and the system could record the incident.”
One of the biggest concerns in the controversy between Chepstow town council and the county council over funding of CCTV was whether the cameras were being properly monitored at the control centre at Tir-y-Berth near Caerphilly.
Since his appointment as CCTV development officer Mr Norman has been looking at systems in other parts of the UK – the phone number through to the control centre works successfully in Cambridge.
He has been working on a strategy to push forward the development of CCTV across Monmouthshire.
The key points and areas of the strategy, which has yet to be agreed by the council are:
- To continue to review the original CCTV scheme and to identify any developments opportunities
- Prevent and detect crime and help maintain public order
- Reducing the fear of crime
- To assist the council in the overall management of the town centre
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