Clippings (April - May 2000)Clippings (April - May 2000)£128,000 scheme to install CCTV (T&A, 30 May, 2000)
Showing the way for others in crime fight (T&A, May 26, 2000)
Car crime slashed by new team (T&A, May 25, 2000)
Camera cuts crime at banks (T&A, 10 May, 2000)
The human touch is best of all (Editorial, T&A, May 10, 2000)
Crime is slashed by security patrols (T&A, May 8, 2000)
Why this prying 'eye' is a necessary evil... (T&A, 8 April 2000)
Rapist seen by CCTV jailed for life (Guardian, 4 April, 2000)
T&A, 10 May, 2000
Safer: A crime reduction partnership has helped halve the number of robberies on a Bradford street
The Manville Terrace area was a hot spot of opportunist robberies due to students using hole-in-the-wall cash machines. So crime prevention officers joined forces with the university, college and local banks to tackle the problem. PC Paul Corah said: "Between them the banks paid to have a CCTV camera installed."
Since the security camera was installed last summer the number of robberies has been slashed. There were 11 robberies between August 1998 and May 1999 and just five between August 1999 and May 2000.
Editorial, T&A, May 10, 2000
It is a nice, bright idea to have City Centre Rangers strolling around the place in special uniforms to make Bradford more user-friendly. Chris Bland seems an ideal choice to be the first of these mobile representatives, a sort of greeter and trouble-shooter combined. His blend of experience as a former beat bobby and part-time entertainer must have equipped him well for the job.
An important part of Mr Bland's work will be high-profile: chatting to people and offering advice and information. It will also be practical, keeping an eye open for litter and for broken and loose flagstones - the sort of things that can create a bad impression with visitors.
Bradford people are friendly people. That is a frequent comment from visitors to the city. But there is nothing wrong with embodying this friendliness in a single person - or, when the scheme gets into its stride, in several people. It will surely help to reinforce the impression that Bradford cares, not only for visitors to the city but also for those who live here.
However, the work is not all "front of house". Mr Bland will also co-ordinate the extended City Centre CCTV Scheme and act as liaison officer between city centre users, visitors, businesses and the Council. Indeed, the funding of his role is a joint Council/private sector initiative, with the post being funded by City Centre Management and his uniform being sponsored by a company in Little Germany.
A lot is being done to try to make central Bradford a brighter place. The City Centre Rangers scheme is a useful move towards that goal.
T&A, May 8, 2000
Private security patrols are helping to slash crime on Bradford Council-run car parks, according to latest police figures.
The patrols at the Vicar Lane pay and display and Westgate multi-storey car parks were introduced after the Telegraph & Argus printed a name and shame list of the city's worst ten car parks.
Figures for April show Vicar Lane still tops the list with two cars stolen and seven broken into. But the total number of offences across all car parks was just 26 compared to 75 during March.
A spokesman for Bradford Council said a new security barrier and CCTV camera would be up and running at the exit to the Westgate car park within the next fortnight to further deter criminals.
He said: "We anticipate these measures will act as a significant deterrent against car thefts. Security patrols will continue at this multi-storey until the measures happen."
Council officers and police will continue to monitor the effects of added security in the coming months.
At Vicar Lane developers are expected to move onto the site within the next fortnight, but the main contract to create a multi-million leisure scheme will not start until summer.
The Council spokesman added: "At Vicar Lane a security presence will continue until such a time as the developers require the main site.
"A patrolman will move onto the new Thornton Road car park site next week, which has been established to provide alternative parking facilities."
Chief Inspector Ray Shepherd, of Bradford Central Police, welcomed the efforts being made by the Council, but added both parties needed to continue to work together on driving down car related crime.
He said: "The efforts being made appeared to have little impact until last month, so you have got to let things run.
"The measures introduced by the Council have been extremely helpful, but the crime has been pushed to on-street parking.
"What we need to do now is work together to improve security on vehicles, lighting and other factors which impact upon on-street auto crime."
The T&A will continue to print a list of the city's worst hit car parks each month so motorists can make an informed choice about where to park.
Mike Priestley column, T&A, 8 April 2000
Those who condemn the use of CCTV systems in the fight against crime should perhaps consider the case of 36-year-old Kevin Chambers. Released from prison after serving half of a six-year sentence for rape, he took only a day to attack again, raping a 19-year-ofd woman in a subway.
The attack was caught on CCTV camera and seen by the security people on duty. Sadly, they wore unable to prevent the rape but by switching to other cameras were able to track Chambers as he fled through the streets of Ipswich and he was arrested. Now he is back in prison for "at least 12 years", according to the judge who beard the case against him.
It's not entirely pleasant, I admit, to know that your movements as you walk through the city streets are being watched by people sitting in front of television monitors in distant rooms. But if those CCTV cameras hadn't been there, there's every chance that other women could have suffered the fate of that poor 19-year-old before Kevin Chambers was finally caught.
That thought surely outweighs the slight feeling of unease that even the most blameless of us have to put up with when we know we're under scrutiny.
Actually, this case should also provide some food for thought for another group of people: those who make and administer the laws.
It's further evidence that men who are compelled to rape, by some flaw in their personality or dark force within them, aren't either cured or brought to repentance by a spell in prison.
They remain a threat forever, and if the public are to be protected their sentences should reflect that reality. Even 12 years is not long enough.
T&A, May 25, 2000
A dedicated police team has helped slash car crime in the Bradford Central division by more than a third.
The unit, made up of eight officers from the division's Crime Action Team, was launched last month to tackle vehicle-related crime and target offenders.
From April 1999 to February this year 924 vehicles were stolen from the area and a further 1,495 were broken into.
Proactive policing by officers from the unit since April has led to a 40 per cent reduction in thefts from motor vehicles and a 30 per cent reduction in theft of motor vehicles.
And the culprits are also being brought to book. Nine people have been arrested with one 24-year-old man from the Little Horton area of Bradford receiving an eight month custodial sentence.
Head of the new unit, Sergeant Mark Leighton, said officers were working with West Yorkshire Fire Service, Bradford Council security staff and private car park owners in a bid to reduce crime.
He said: "Through partnership working, targeting known offenders and identifying hot spots we can make positive progress to beat the criminals and make the city's parking areas safer"
As part of the project the Council's CCTV staff are now linked to officers via a mobile phone and the fire service is providing video footage of people thought to be responsible for stealing and burning cars.
Anyone with information about vehicle-related crime can contact the unit through the Bradford Central Crime Action Team on (01274) 376424.
by JOANNE EARP, Crime Reporter, T&A, May 26, 2000
Community safety partners from across the coun- try will converge on Bradford next month to hear how the district is cracking down on crime and disorder.
Bradford Council is one of six local authorities to be awarded Beacon Status for community safety and is recognised as a centre of excellence.
It has organised an open day to share its successes and highlight some of the pitfalls encountered along the way.
The Beacon Status covers Bradford city centre and the three neighbouring towns of Bingley, Shipley and Keighley.
The event will feature a series of best practice workshops on how local safety partnerships are tackling the effects of street prostitution, retail crime, drink, drugs and disorder, and the fear of crime.
Other topics include development of the Pub Watch scheme in areas like Eccleshill, Shop Watch, CCTV links and how members of the community can be involved.
More than 100 professionals working in police forces, local authorities, towns and city centres and business communities are expected to attend the event.
Retailer Erie Hudson, who runs a newsagents in Shipley, is heavily involved in the district's community safety strategy.
He said: "It is one of the fields where Bradford can hold its head up with pride and now we have a chance to share our work with the rest of the country.
'As a retailer I have been involved in the Shop Watch radio link and CCTV installation. The security of shops has never been better.
"The open day will show other areas that if we can do it they can too. And it will be a reminder to keep looking at how we can improve further."
Senior project development officer Elaine Rey said the open day would also be a way of sharing mistakes to ensure other areas don't go down the same road.
She said: "One of the topics is tackling the effects of prostitution. We'll be sharing local research and initiatives with areas which maybe haven't tackled the issue because they are not sure what to do.
"We're not saying this is the only way to tackle problems, rather that this is something we've found to have an impact."
The open day takes place on June 29 at the Midland Hotel, Bradford.
T&A, 30 May, 2000
Sites have been selected for the location of six closed circuit television cameras in Skipton at a cost of £128,000.
Craven district council planning committee, which was meeting tonight in Skipton, is being asked to approve the location of the six, six-metre high poles.
Officers want them erected in High Street at the junction of Caroline Square, in the town hall car park at the junction of High Street and
Mill Bridge, in Waller Hill car park opposite the junction with Castle Street in Cavendish Street car park and in Coach Street car park.
The Craven Community Partnership has secured the bulk of the cash from the Home Office to finance the project but is urging local businesses to help finance the annual £14,000 running costs.
Councillors have been told that the most sensitive of the sitings is in High Street at its junction with Mill Bridge.
"The northern head of the High Street forms the principle focus of the town's architectural and historic interest," says a report.
Chairman of the CCTV Partnership Andy Parker said Craven District Council, North Yorkshire Police, Skipton Town Council, Skipton Building Society, Skipton Chamber of Trade and Commerce, British Waterways and Skipton Market Traders' Association have pledged significant financial support towards the costs.
And the plan has had widespread support from shopkeepers.
He said: "CCTV can and does help in providing a safer shopping and parking environment and inhibiting drunk and disorderly behaviour."
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