Town set for more CCTV coverage

A host of new ‘intelligent’ CCTV cameras are to be installed in Spalding in a bid to create ‘safe zone areas’.

The cameras will be placed in areas where there’s no current coverage between pubs and clubs and transport links such as taxi ranks.

A network of volunteers is also to be created to monitor the cameras which are currently manned by Boston Borough Council staff.

A spokesman for the council said there will be 72 new cameras installed at 18 locations in Spalding.

It’s being paid for by a £400,000 grant from the government’s Safer Street Funding following a joint bid by the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Marc Jones and the South and East Lincolnshire Local Councils Partnership, of which South Holland District Council is a member.

A spokesman for the PCC’s office said: “Artificial Intelligence servers will be installed alongside the cameras and allow police officers to search footage quickly using parameters such as clothing description or vehicle type.

“This will save valuable time getting to important evidence and increase the risk of detection, capture and conviction.

“The bid comes after the PCC’s Lincolnshire Youth Commission engaged with over 1,000 young people and identified sexual assaults or street harassment as the biggest threats to their safety.

“Street harassment and stalking has also been directly raised as an issue at public engagement events undertaken by the OPCC Safer Together Team in Spalding, Boston and Skegness.

“The sites of the cameras were identified after extensive analysis of crime statistics by Lincolnshire Police.”

A statement put out by authority leaders including SHDC’s Coun Gary Porter said: “The Safer Streets bid is a progressive step towards ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors particularly in creating a safer environment for women and girls who are at risk of violence.

“We believe this bid will be successful in creating safer public places through the use of new technologies and increased CCTV in areas previously deemed as hot spots for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) such as pedestrian routes and night-time economy areas.”

“It is crucial that everyone, but especially women and girls, can feel and be safe on the streets both during the day and at night,” said Mr Jones.

“This myriad of technology also means our police officers can spend less time in an office and more time on the streets where they are most needed.”