Clippings (Jan-Mar 2001)Clippings (Jan-Mar 2001)City waits for result of £2m camera bid (T&A, 26 March 2001)
Sex attack suspects caught on camera (T&A, 19 March 2001)
Insight of the law (Guardian 1 March 2001)
Traders welcome new crime camera (T&A 21 Feb 2001)
Mobile "super spy" for traders (T&A, 16 Feb 2001)
Sound surveillance advice (Letters, T&A, 17 Feb 2001)
The clarity of CCTV footage (Letters, T&A, 9 Feb 2001)
CCTV a step closer for station car park (T&A 3 Jan 2001)
Straw plans to expand police DNA database (Independent 20 Jan 2001)
City centre thieves told: `Think again' (T&A, 29 Jan 2001)
T&A 3, Jan 2001
A campaign for new security cameras in and around Keighley railway station car park has moved a step closer to success.
The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is among organisations that have promised to help pay the £40,000 cost.
And a bid for government cash has been made to improve street lighting and install two cameras to cover the car park and adlacent
Low Mitt Lane. Renewed efforts to improve security in the car crime hotspot were made after two cars were burned-out in the station car-park in September.
Keighley Town Centre Partnership last month hosted a meeting of interested parties which decided the best solution would be linking two new cameras to Keighley's CCTV camera network.
The state-of-the-art network will be monitored 24-hours-a-day from this coming spring following a successful bid for Home Office funding.
K&WVR has promised £3,000 and Yorkshire train firm Northern Spirit, which runs the station, has pledged £10,000.
Bradford council has submitted a bid to the Home Office to cover the rest of the costs. The bid meets many of the targets set out
in the Crime and Disorder Strategy.
Councillor Andrew Mallinson, a spokesman for the Town Centre Partnership, said police statistics emphasise the significance of crime in the Low Mill Lane area.
He added: "If the Home Office funding bid is successful, safety and security will be greatly improved in this area and public confidence can be restored."
By Ian Burrell, Home affairs correspondent, Independent 20 Jan, 2001
THE HOME Secretary, Jack Straw, outlined plans yesterday for a major expansion of the national DNA database to include samples of thousands of people who have not been convicted of a criminal offence.
Mr Straw revealed proposals to sweep away the current requirement for police to destroy all DNA samples taken of criminal suspects who are subsequently not prosecuted or who are cleared by the courts.
The plans, which would lead to the database holding DNA details of one person in 15 in England and Wales within three years, has alarmed civil liberties groups.
Roger Bingham, a spokesman for Liberty said: "We have big concerns that they are looking for pre-election, quick-fix measures and not looking at the real issues of effectively tackling crime."
He said: "Mr Straw regards this as a proportionate measure. We struggle to see how keeping samples of a random selection of innocent people can be proportionate or fair."
Mr Straw, who was unveiling the new Criminal Justice and Police Bill, also announced a series of new measures to give extra powers to police.
Constables will be able to issue fixed penalty notices for offences ranging from throwing fireworks to being drunk in a pub or trespassing on a railway line. Officers will also be able to issue penalties to people they consider to be wasting police time or those who use threatening or abusive words to harass or distress another person.
Justifying the new measures, Mr Straw said the police would not be "judge and jury" and that people who felt they had been wrongly accused would be able to go to trial.
Mr Straw said fears over the DNA database would diminish, as had, he claimed, concerns over the intrusiveness of closed-circuit TV cameras. "Twenty years ago, if you had said to people ‘If you walk through central London it will be possible to track you on every street corner’ there would have been all sorts of shouts of ‘Big Brother’ but people now welcome it because they feel safer."
Police may take DNA samples from individuals suspected, charged or convicted of a recordable offence. The database currently holds just over one million samples, which are taken with a mouth swab.
The legal requirement on police to destroy samples of those cleared of charges has recently led to the collapse of two convictions, for murder and rape, when the suspects were found to have been identified using DNA samples which should have been destroyed.
Although the House of Lords subsequently allowed unlawfully obtained DNA to be considered as evidence, Mr Straw said it was important that the position was clarified by allowing police to keep all samples.
The new bill also outlined plans for reducing drunken loutishness by giving police greater powers to close down pubs and bars which are scenes of violent disorder. They will get powers to arrest kerb crawlers and suspects in hit-and-run incidents. Courts will be able to confiscate the passports of convicted drug traffickers. The new bill also aims to encourage more take-up of Anti-Social Behaviour orders by giving witnesses in civil cases the same protection from intimidation as those in criminal cases.
by Joanne Earp, T&A, 29 Jan 2001
Robbers targeting shoppers in Bradford city centre are being captured on video by police as part of a new anti-crime blitz.
Footage from the high-visibility patrols will be reviewed on a daily basis to match possible suspects with descriptions from victims.
Chief Inspector Ray Shepherd, of Bradford Central Police, said: "The message is - if you're thinking about trying to carry out a robbery in Bradford city centre think again.
"You are likely to be, or may already have been, captured on film by the video patrols."
Ch Insp Shepherd said there had been an increase in recent months in the number of robberies, particularly in the city centre.
"Many of the incidents involve youths stealing mobile phones from other youths," he said.
"It used to be designer clothes - now it's mobiles. We're getting one or maybe two robberies a day now.
"It can be a traumatic experience, especially if threats of violence are made, and it is something we need to stamp out."
He urged members of the public, particularly youths, to play their part by not flaunting mobile phones as fashion accessories.
The video patrols are part of a double-pronged crime blitz, which is also aimed at combating domestic burglaries.
From today high visibility uniformed patrols, Special Constables and non-uniformed officers will be focusing on burglary hot spots.
Problem areas highlighted in the police crime figures include pockets of student accommodation near to the city's university and college and parts of Undercliffe.
Ch Insp Shepherd said: "The burglary offensive will provide reassurance for members of the public and prioritise the arrest of known offenders.
"We will also be offering crime prevention advice in areas highlighted as burglary hot spots."
Home Office statistics released earlier this month showed Bradford Central police division is one of West Yorkshire's hot spots in terms of the number of crimes per 1,000 population.
The area only has a population of 28,000, but thousands more people visit and pass through the city centre each day.
Bradford Central and Millgarth, which covers Leeds city centre, topped the list for robberies with 7.2 and 15.9 offences per 1,000 residents respectively.
T&A editorial, 29 Jan 2001
The anti-crime blitz being launched in Bradford city centre is very welcome. An increased fear of crime as a result of the recent rise in the number of robberies is the sort of thing Bradford can well do without. Anything which is likely to deter people from coming into the city centre and patronising the shops and leisure facilities needs to be tackled firmly.
There might well be objections from some quarters to the idea of police patrolling with video cameras, capturing the shopping crowds on tape to help them identify the criminals. However, as with CCTV cameras, the benefits in terms of reduce crime and increased peace of mind for law-abiding citizens are likely to more than compensate for any loss of privacy.
The second part of the anti-crime offensive, sending out high-visibility uniformed patrols on to the streets, is a welcome acknowledgement by the police of the general public's view that the presence of officers on the beat is a valuable crime deterrent.
Together, these two measures should help to make the centre of Bradford and the more crime-ridden parts of the inner city safer places to be.
However, as the police rightly point out, there are also things the public can do to help to protect themselves. Mobile phones, for example, are a popular target for criminal youngsters. The theft of them is made easy because many people treat them as a fashion accessory and carry them openly displayed.
It seems that the message to them has to be: if you don't want to lose it, don't flaunt it.
Letters, T&A, 9 Feb 2001
SIR - In response to Trevor Willams-Berry's letter about the poor quality of video tapes (February 3), your correspondent is right to raise the issue about the clarity of pictures from CCTV footage.
West Yorkshire Police has recently purchased the most advanced image enhancement equipment, which will enable technicians to improve images.
The quality of static CCTV images can vary but these can be improved by ensuring the cameras are sited in the best possible location. The police also offer the following advice:
Users should make sure their CCTV is switched on at all times. Quite often police officers attend crimes to find equipment has not been switched on.
A good-quality tape should be used for every day and rotated on a weekly basis.
After three months, tapes should be destroyed and replaced - a worn video tape records a poor image which cannot be enhanced. A video recorder operating 24 hours a day needs to be serviced at least twice a year and the recording heads cleaned every three months.
If these simple rules are followed, better-quality images will be captured without the need for enhancement and hopefully speed up the justice process.
DI Christopher Binns, acting crime manager, Bradford Central CID.
Letters, T&A, 17 Feb 2001
SIR - How refreshing it was to read DI Christopher Binns’s letter in reply to my own letter about the clarity of CCTV footage. It was articulate, constructive and instructive and I do hope the majority of business people in the catchment area of the T&A read and digest the content.
It is to be hoped that the recommendations pointed out by DI Binns are noted and put into practice by all businesses where there is a likelihood of a crime being committed, and where the CCTV footage is essential as police evidence.
It is not too much to ask to check that your surveillance equipment is working properly and that the standard of reproduction is good. If the equipment is passed its sell-by date or not producing sharp clear images, then it is time, for your own protection, to update or have your system serviced!
I would have thought that some kind of reduction in insurance premiums for the maintenance of good CCTV systems would be beneficial to all concerned!
Trevor Williams-Berry, Bredon Avenue, Wrose.
by IAN LEWIS, T&A Reporter, 16 Feb 2001
A mobile, spy-in-the-sky camera will zoom in on crime in Shipley
And in what is believed to be the first initiative of its kind in West Yorkshire, the £17,000 Rapid Deployment CCTV Camera will link in to Shipley’s existing CCTV system.
The camera, which is initially focusing on deterring and detecting shoplifters and pickpockets in Market Square, can rotate through 360 degrees.
It has been bought by the Shipley Watch retailers partnership and part-funded by Bradford Council’s community safety unit.
The equipment, which sends its signals via microwave rather than fibre-optic cabling, can be moved from one location to another within hours and used in tandem with a portable monitor. And with the camera able to operate up to three miles from Shipley town centre, it could also be used to help fight crime in places such as Baildon, Saltaire and Windhill.
Shipley Town Centre Manager Bob Parker said:
‘The beauty of this camera is that it can be moved around and used wherever there’s a problem at quite short notice."
Inspector Nigel Cawthorne, of Shipley police, said:
"This camera’s more flexible than the static ones and will enable us to target specific problems in specific areas which might not be covered by them."
A number of potential locations had already been identified.
T&A 21 Feb 2001
Shipley’s traders and town centre bosses have welcomed a new mobile camera to help fight crime. The Telegraph & Argus reported on Friday how the Shipley Watch retailers partnership had bought a £17,000 Rapid Deployment CCTV Camera to link in to the town’s existing CCTV system.
The equipment, which sends its signals via microwave and is part-funded by Bradford Council’s Community Safety Unit, can be moved from one location to another within hours and used in tandem with a portable monitor
Police said the new camera would add to the effectiveness of Shipley’s CCTV system, which was launched in June 1998 and led to a fall in the number of non-domestic burglaries, assaults and vehicle thefts in the town centre.
Councillor John Carroll (Con, Shipley West), chairman of the Shipley Town Centre Development Partnership, said:
"It means we’ll be able to focus on hot spots very quickly For example if we’ve got a car park where there’s been a high number of thefts we’ll be able to put the camera there."
David Burke. Shipley Indoor Market sweet trader and Shipley Watch chairman, said: "This camera will be a very valuable asset to the town."
Shipley Town Centre Manager Bob Parker said: "Shipley is a safe place to shop and this camera will help to keep it that way"
by Drew Kendell T&A, 19 March 2001
Detectives were today set to trawl through CCTV footage in bid to catch a sex attacker who struck in a busy shopping centre.
Bosses at Bradford's Kirkgate Centre - the scene of the indecent assault - confirmed the suspects had been caught on camera and that images had been sent to police for viewing. Officers also appealed to shoppers who may have seen the four men to come forward.
Detective Inspector Chris Binns, who is heading the investigation, said the 19-year-old Asian victim had been left "very upset" by the indecent assault which happened at 2.30pm on Friday.
The woman was approached by four Asian youths on a staircase leading to the centre's car park, just yards from the bustling stores, when one of them assaulted her. They fled towards the centre and into the crowds.
Steve Seymour, of the Kirkgate Centre, said its state-of-the-art CCTV system had picked up those thought to have been responsible.
He said: "It is very unfortunate that this happened and obviously we are doing everything we can to help the police.''
Attacks and crimes such as bag snatches were "a sad fact of life in city centres across the country", said Mr Seymour who added that the centre did everything possible to avoid them.
"There are regular patrols in all areas of the centre but we cannot be everywhere all the time."
He said the centre had signs warning people to be aware of criminals and said the public should always be vigilant.
While they could not stop criminals from acting, the centre took all the preventative measures it could as well as trying to educate the public, he added.
Detectives appealed for anyone who may have seen the group of youths, particularly a woman walking in front of the victim moments before the attack, to contact Bradford Central police on (01274) 376459.
The attacker was described as Asian, about 25 years old, 6 ft tall and of medium build. He was wearing a black knitted polo sweater, black coat and cream baseball cap. He was also carrying a black bag over his shoulder.
by Carolyne Coyle, T&A, 26 March 2001
Bradford is set to win almost £2 million for more `spy' cameras in city-centre and residential areas.
The district was expected to hear today if closed-circuit TV cameras in Little Germany and new ones at blocks of flats around the district have been given the green light.
Bus and train stations could also be installed with more equipment.
The proposals have been met with a mixed response by party leaders.
Ian Greenwood, leader of the Labour group, said the scheme would encourage people to live in inner-city areas like Little Germany.
"CCTV makes people feel safe and secure in their homes and in public areas," he said.
"It's one of the big issues that people ask for the most, and it would be a marvellous way of encouraging more people to live in the city."
But Liberal Democrat leader Jeanette Sunderland said cameras didn't necessarily make people - especially women - feel safer.
"When I'm in a bus station or railway station late at night it's little comfort to me to know there would be footage of my attacker," she said.
"I would rather see more staff or police around as that would make me feel much safer."
She added that cameras could also displace crime rather than reduce it.
Coun Margaret Eaton, Conservative leader of Bradford Council, said: "CCTV has a good track record in preventing crime and helps people feel a lot safer.
"We want to let people know what a good place Bradford is and cameras will make city-centre and residential areas a nicer place for visitors and residents.
"Bradford is among a number of Yorkshire towns and cities asking for cameras.
The Bradford District Crime and Disorder Partnership is bidding for almost £977,000 to be spent on new cameras around blocks of flats, and a further £404,000 for other residential areas. Up to £181,000 could be spent on Little Germany.
The West Yorkshire CCTV Co-operative has applied for a £415,530 grant for cameras at city-centre transport stations.
The plans were to go before Home Office minister Charles Clarke for approval.
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