Basingstoke plans for additional CCTV cameras to tackle crime

Residents, visitors and businesses are being asked to share their views on proposals to install 10 new CCTV cameras in the town centre and surrounding areas in a bid to help tackle crime.

Last year, the Police and Crime Commissioner secured £275,179 from the government’s Safer Streets Fund to invest in new measures to prevent acquisitive crime in the town centre and areas in Eastrop and Brookvale and Kings Furlong.

Activities supported by the funding include providing additional and improved street lighting, increasing security for cycles and cycle parking, carrying out grounds maintenance work to open up enclosed areas and improved security measures for garages within the Riverdene area.

Alongside these measures and to help residents feel safer, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and Basingstoke and Deane Borough are proposing to install 10 new CCTV cameras.

The new cameras would be part of the existing CCTV network in public areas in the town centre and cameras already in place in The Malls and Festival Place.

Based on evidence of crimes reported to the police in the area, the proposed new locations are:

• Central Car Park
• Feathers Yard
• Castons Yard (enhancing existing CCTV cameras)
• Joices Yard (enhancing existing CCTV cameras)
• Glebe Gardens
• Church Street (enhancing existing CCTV cameras)
• Alencon Link
• Eastrop Park Car Park.

Residents, visitors and businesses are being asked to share their views on the proposals by taking part in a short survey open until Monday 28 February.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, said:

“People have told me that they don’t just want to see crime going down, they also want to feel safer.

“Improving CCTV coverage in some of the most affected areas will make it harder for criminals to commit burglaries and robberies. Your feedback on our planned improvements will help to achieve that.”

Cabinet Member for Communities, Planning and Infrastructure Cllr Simon Bound said: “We know that feeling safe is extremely important to our residents and visitors and we are committed to working closely with the police and Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure our borough is a safe place to live, work and visit.

“Alongside the other activities that have taken place through the Safer Streets project, the introduction of more CCTV cameras in the town centre area will help the police gather vital evidence to investigate crimes and create safer streets for all.

“The voices of residents, visitors and businesses in the town centre area are really important to us so please take 10 minutes to share your views with us.”