INTER FORCE ASSISTANCE
PO Box 999
Manchester M46 9SE
Tel: 01942 889997
Fax. 07942 889992
1st November, 1999.

 

SHIPLEY CCTV SYSTEM - AN EVALUATION

BACKGROUND

A bid was made to the Home Office by the Shipley Town Centre Management Group in early 1997 to the Close Circuit Television Challenge Competition (1997/1998). (See Appendix '1'.)

On the 19th September 1997, on behalf of Inter Force Assistance Ltd., I was appointed as a Consultant to carry out an evaluation of the CCTV system as per the Home Office Bidding Guide. (See Appendix '2'.)

On the same date Inspector Nigel Cawthorne, who is the officer in charge of the West Yorkshire Police Station at Shipley, was notified of the appointment and Mr. Bob Parker, who is the Shipley Town Centre Manager, was also notified.

It is of significance that both these officers are still in post. It is clear that both are very knowledgeable of the scheme, having been ever present from the inception of the bid to the present time.

The terms of the evaluation were set out as per the Implementation and Evaluation Questionnaire provided by the Home Office in respect of CCTV Challenge Competitions. (Appendix '3'.)

On 27th September 1997 a letter was sent from Inter Force Assistance Ltd. to Mr. Kevin Burt of the Home Office Crime Prevention Agency outlining acknowledgement of the evaluation criteria and the methodology to be used in eventually producing an evaluation of a CCTV system. (See Appendix '4'.)

In the intervening period I have made several visits to Shipley and have liaised with Inspector Cawthorne and Mr. Parker as well as visiting the Divisional Headquarters at Eccleshill and visiting the CCTV control room at Keighley.

The purpose, in the early phases, was to elicit the basic criteria upon which the system would be judged and to develop meaningful models for analysis, which would include incidences of crime and trends as well as incidents of public disorder. Statistics in relation to arrests over a comparable period would also be studied.

It was decided that Pudsey was a similar West Yorkshire market town for which there are currently no mature plans for CCTV. In the light of this it was decided that Pudsey would act as a control for evaluation.

On Wednesday, 21st October 1998 I again visited Shipley and carried out an interim evaluation of the system. (See Appendix '5'.)

On Monday, 13th September, 1999 I revisited Shipley Police Station and there saw Inspector Cawthorne and Mr. Parker where I discussed with them the changes that had taken place since the interim evaluation and also confirmed with them the results of the Crime, Disorder and Arrest Statistical Analysis that had been carried out thus far.

The following has been compiled in such a way that the report can be read in a meaningful fashion without reference to appendices or background material.

CRIME AND PUBLIC ORDER TRENDS

In the bid document reference was made to crimes such as burglary, robbery, assault, vehicle crime, criminal damage, shoplifting and theft from the person.

It referred to ram raid type burglaries of jewellers and electrical and clothing shops, thefts from the elderly, including distraction thefts, pickpockets and professional shoplifters. Reference was also made to knives and theft of cash in and around cash dispensers. There was also a concern relating to open drug dealing.

As regards public order, the town centre had some problems with its five public houses, two night clubs and eight restaurants and there was evidence of alcohol related assaults and disorder. In the previous three years before the bid there had been a murder which would have been likely to have been captured on video had the system been in operation.

The key objectives of the scheme were:

1. To identify suspects and suspicious activity prior to an offence, thereby facilitating early intervention to prevent crime / disorder.

2. To locate and identify offences in progress, arrest perpetrators and recover property.

3. To provide evidence of involvement by groups or individuals to locate those responsible after an offence.

4. To provide police response appropriate to the incident (efficiency and effectiveness).

5. To target known active criminals.

 It was anticipated and it subsequently transpired that the camera output would be monitored at the nearby town of Keighley where there was an existing monitoring centre. The pictures were to be relayed from Shipley to Keighley via a fibre optic link.

There was to be an open liaison between the monitoring centre and the police area control room and it was hoped that there would be a 20% drop in crime in the first twelve months, particularly as regards disorder, commercial burglary, robbery and theft from the person.

It was hoped that alongside the targeted reduction in actual crime (as well as the fear of crime - see later), that the town centre would become more attractive to shoppers and businesses and that there would be a fall in the number of vacant shop premises.

West Yorkshire Police have two systems of incident recording. One is a highly sophisticated crime recording and analysis system and more recently, a system that records public order offences such as drunkenness, etc. has been taken into use. The latter system is still in its infancy and its output is not as efficient as the crime system.

CRIME STATISTICS

The recorded crime in the West Yorkshire Police Force area for the years 1996, 1997 and 1998 are shown at Appendix '6' and hereunder. The CCTV system in Shipley went live at the beginning of June, 1998 and the crime statistics that follow are from 1st June to the 31st May of the following year. (Normally crime statistics are recorded from 1st January to 31st December.) It can be seen, therefore, that the comparison relates to a complete year after the installation of CCTV in comparison to the previous two years when CCTV was not present.

 

WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE - FORCE AREA

CRIME RECORDED JANUARY - DECEMBER 1996,1997 AND 1998

Offence Type

1996

1997

96 - 97 change

1998

97 - 98 change

Burglary Dwelling

47,621

39,018

-18.1%

35,011

-10.3%

Burglary Other

32,436

28,703

-11.5%

30,675

6.9%

Assaults

8,041

7,847

-2.4%

8,609

9.7%

Robbery

3,233

2,705

-16.3%

2,841

5.0%

Theft of Motor Vehicle / TWOC

27,839

19,940

-28.4%

22,655

13.6%

Damage to Motor Vehicle/ Interference

19,448

19,242

-1.1%

23,426

21.7%

Theft from Motor Vehicle

41,665

39,234

-5.8%

39,346

0.3%

Theft from Person

4,959

4,362

-12.0%

4,299

-1.4%

Theft from Shop

108,441

10,660

-1.7%

11,578

8.1%

Total

196,086

171,711

-12.4%

178,440

3.9%

 

It can be seen that there is a year on year fall for 'burglary dwelling', a fall then a rise in 'burglary other', a marginal fall and then a rise in 'assault', a large fall and then a small rise in respect of 'robbery', a very large fall in 'thefts of motor vehicle' and 'taking without owner's consent' followed by a substantial rise, a no change followed by a dramatic rise in 'vehicle interference', a fall of 'theft from the person' followed by a further small fall and a small reduction in 'thefts from shops' followed by a rise.

At Appendix '7' and hereunder is a comparison between West Yorkshire Police crime statistics over the same three years with Pudsey town centre, which is a town similar to Shipley but which has not had the benefit of a CCTV system.

 

WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE - PUDSEY CENTRE

CRIME RECORDED 1 JUNE - 31 MAY 1996/97,1997/98 AND 1998/99

Offence Type

1996/97

1997/98

Year 1/2 change

Force % change

1998/99

Year2/3 change

Force % change

Burglary Dwelling

279

182

-34.8%

18.1%

243

33.5%

-10.3%

Burglary Other

238

263

10.5%

-11.5%

430

63.5%

6.9%

Assaults

55

52

-5.5%

-2.4%

59

13.5%

9.7%

Robbery

7

15

114.2%

-16.3%

10

-33.3%

5.0%

TMV / TWOC

116

63

-45.7%

-12.4%

179

184.1%

13.6%

Damage / lnt. MV

188

102

-47.7%

1.1%

202

98.0%

21.7%

Theft from Motor Vehicle

282

153

-45.7%

5.8%

384

151.0%

0.3%

Theft from Person

4

8

100.0%

-12.0%

16

100.0%

-1.4%

Theft from Shop

38

33

13.2%

-1.7%

37

12.1%

8.1%

Total

1,207

871

-27.8%

-12.4%

1,560

79.1%

3.9%

 

It can be seen that as regards 'burglary dwelling' there was a very large fall between 1996/97 and 1997/98 but that the trend was almost totally reversed in 1998/99 which is contrary to the Force statistics which showed reductions in both years. In 'burglary other', which of course incorporates shops, there was a rise between 1996/97 and 1997/98 for Pudsey Town Centre which was in inverse proportion to the Force and then a massive rise between 1997/98 and 1998/99 as opposed to a very small rise Forcewide,

Assaults fell and rose in almost direct proportion with the Force. In cases of robbery, there were only a fairly small number of incidents and the percentage differences appear therefore exaggerated as opposed to the numerical differences. Nonetheless, between 1996/97 and 1997/98 robberies doubled as opposed to a substantial drop in the Force and then fell the following year in Pudsey Town Centre whereas the Force remained almost static.

As regards 'theft of motor vehicles', 'theft from motor vehicles' and 'motor vehicle interference', the number of crimes dropped in all three categories in Pudsey Town Centre by almost a half as opposed to marginal falls Forcewide. In the following year (1998/99), however, vehicle crime in Pudsey soared, in some cases almost tripling, as opposed to marginal increases Forcewide.

In relation to 'thefts from the person' in Pudsey Town Centre crime doubled and then doubled again as opposed to marginal falls Forcewide. Thefts from shops, in the main, remained static during the three years.

At Appendix '8' and hereunder is a comparison between Force crime statistics, Pudsey Town Centre and Shipley Town Centre.

WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE - SHIPLEY CENTRE

CRIME RECORDED 1 JUNE - 31 MAY 1996/97, 1997/98 AND 1998/99

Offence Type

1996/97

1997/98

Year 1/2 change

Force % change

Pudsey% change

1998/99

Year 2/3 change

Force % change

Pudsey % change

Burglary Dwelling

45

22

-51.2%

-18.1%

-34.8%

25

13.6%

-10.3%

33.5%

Burglary Other

105

111

5.7%

-11.5%

10.5%

105

-5.4%

6.9%

63.5%

Assault

20

19

-5.0%

-2.4%

-5.5%

18

-5.3%

9.7%

13.5%

Robbery

15

13

-13.3%

-16.3%

114.2%

16

23.1%

6.0%

-33.3%

Theft of Motor Vehicle / TWOC

59

52

-11.9%

-28.4%

-45.7%

46

-11.5%

13.6%

184.1%

Damage to Motor Vehicle/ Interference

70

57

-18.6%

-1.1%

-47.7%

66

15.8%

21.7%

98.0%

Theft from Motor Vehide

97

108

11.3%

-5.8%

-45.7%

163

50.9%

0.3%

151.0%

Theft from Person

22

14

-36.4%

-12.0%

100.0%

42

200.0%

-1.4%

100.0%

Theft from Shop

123

126

2.4%

-1.7%

13.2%

146

15.9%

8.1%

12.1%

Total

556

622

-6.1%

-12.4%

-27.8%

627

20.1%

3.9%

79.1%

 

As regards 'burglary dwelling' in Shipley Town Centre, between 1996/97 and 1997/98 crime dropped by a half. This was against a third drop in Pudsey Town Centre and a fifth drop Foreewide. In the following year 'burglary dwelling' in Shipley Town Centre rose by 13% (in numerical terms 3 i.e. 25 burglaries as opposed to 22 burglaries the year before), against a Force drop of 10%, but Shipley recorded 20% fewer increased burglaries than Pudsey.

As regards 'burglary other' i.e. shops, Shipley's crime showed a modest increase against the Foreewide drop and a similar modest increase in Pudsey. The following year (1998/99) 'burglary other' in Shipley went down by 5% as opposed to a Forcewide rise of 6% and a massive increase in Pudsey by two thirds.

In the case of 'assaults' the comparison between 1996/97 and 1997/98 shows very modest falls in Shipley, the Force and Pudsey and this modest fall was replicated in Shipley as opposed to rises in the Force and at Pudsey in 1998/99. The incidences of 'robbery' in Shipley and Pudsey are small, and small variations account for large percentage differences. This is highlighted in the comparison between 1996/97 and 1997/98 when the number of robberies fell from 15 to 13 showing a 13% drop and then rose by 3 to 16 in 1998/99 which accounted for a 23% rise. It is interesting that the Force figures fell then rose similarly whereas Pudsey swung in entirely the opposite direction.

Taking 'theft of motor vehicles', 'theft from motor vehicles' and 'damage and interference to motor vehicles' as a whole, reveals that between 1996/97 and 1997/98 vehicle crime dropped by 10% in line with a Forcewide drop whereas Pudsey's vehicle crime dropped by double the other two.

Vehicle crime between 1997/98 and 1998/99 saw increases in Shipley which were mirrored in the Force statistics whereas vehicle crime in Pudsey rose by double or even triple proportions.

As regards 'thefts from the person' Shipley enjoyed a drop of about a third of these types of crimes between 1996/97 and 1997/98 which was mirrored Forcewide whereas Fludsey's 'theft from the person' doubled (again we are talking about fairly low numbers of crime and percentages can be somewhat deceiving).

The following year, Shipley's 'theft from the person' rose considerably against the status quo Forcewide, but Pudsey's 'theft from the person' doubled again from the year before.

Theft from shops in Shipley Town Centre and Forcewide were virtually static between 1996/97 and 1997/98 whereas Pudsey's rose marginally. The following year Shipley's thefts from shops rose in almost direct proportion with the Force and with Pudsey.

In overall statistical terms crime in Shipley Town Centre reduced from 1996/97 to 1997/98 by 6% as opposed to a 12% drop Forcewide and a 28% drop in Pudsey. In the following year overall crime in Shipley Town Centre grew by 20% as opposed to a 4% rise Forcewide but a 79% rise in Pudsey.

PUBLIC ORDER, ETC.

The targets set by Shipley in respect of crime reductions from a comparative viewpoint would appear to have been achieved.

The incident recording system as regards disorder has only fairly recently been installed and comparisons are only available from 1st June 1997 to 31st May 1998 and the 1st June 1998 to the 31st May 1999.

At Appendix '9' and hereunder is a survey of the incidences of offences that are not classified as crime.

WEST YORKSHIRE POLICE - SHIPLEY CENTRE

INCIDENT SURVEY (IBIS) lst JUNE - 31st MAY 1997/98 AND 1998/99

Offence Type

1997/98

1998/99

Year 2/3

Year 2/3

DISORDER PUBLIC PLACE

43

29

-14

-32.5%

DRUNKENNESS

23

42

19

82.6%

DOMESTIC DISPUTE

0

2

2

BREACH OF THE PEACE

3

6

3

CIVIL DISPUTE

14

17

3

21.4%

RACIAL / ETHNIC

0

0

COMMUNITY PROBLEMS

6

6

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

0

0

HOAX / NUISANCE TELEPHONE CALLS

16

13

-3

-18.7%

OTHER UNLISTED DISORDER

158

124

-34

-21.5%

GENUINE ALARM CALL

12

17

5

41.6%

FALSE ALARM CALL

76

62

-14

-18.4%

TOTAL

351

318

-33

-9.4%

 

Overall, there is a 10% drop of these types of incidences after CCTV was installed. It is not possible to determine the comparative figures from a Force or Pudsey perspective.

One has to be extremely careful about making claims off fairly low numbers (i.e. there is less than one offence per day) and similarly, some of the reports after the installation of CCTV have come from the monitoring centre who have seen and reported incidents that may not have been reported previously. All that can be said is that overall there is a reduction and this evaluation requires further enquiry as time goes on and more figures are available for comparison.

ARRESTS

At Appendix '10' and hereunder is a comparison of arrests in the Eccleshill Division for all arrests and a further breakdown of arrests for incidences of public order. These arrest statistics relate to the whole of the Eccleshill Division of which Shipley is one fairly small part. A location analysis of arrests is not available so it is not possible to breakdown the figures to show Shipley Town Centre by itself. As the IBIS system becomes more used and refined this may be possible in the future.

COMPARISON OF ARREST STATISTICS IN RELATION TO TOTAL ARRESTS AND

PUBLIC ORDER ARRESTS FOR THE ECCLESHILL DIVSION

FROM 1st JUNE 1997 TO THE 31st MAY 1998 AND 1st JUNE 1998 TO 31st MAY 1999

Total Arrests

P/Order arrests

97/98

98/99

97/98

98/99

Jun

388

399

43

45

Jul

364

356

23

31

Aug

351

357

57

42

Sep

383

379

51

61

Oct

333

381

50

58

Nov

366

328

50

39

Dec

349

345

52

58

Jan

373

348

49

56

Feb

335

346

40

49

Mar

304

376

39

53

Apr

373

338

38

43

May

370

415

37

38

Totals

3,546

3615

454

492

 

The figures show that, overall, there have been 69 more arrests in total for 1998/99 as compared with the previous year. For the same period, but as regards public order alone, there has been an increase of 38 (11.95%).

From an overall point of view, therefore, it would appear that crime has reduced and in some cases, reduced in comparison to the control sample that does not have CCTV fitted, as well as generating more arrests.

FEAR OF CRIME

In October 1996 a public perception survey was carried out by the Shipley and District Crime Prevention Panel. The results of that survey are shown at Appendix '11'. In May, 1999 a further public perception survey was carried out by Shipley and District Crime Prevention Panel and those findings are at Appendix '12'.

In the initial survey, all the respondents were from Shipley or the surrounding area and were regular visitors to the town centre. All of them were concerned about crime in Shipley. The majority of concerns were equally divided in the main between robbery and burglary. The areas that they specified are now mainly covered by the CCTV system.

The particular concerns about crime related to after dark and this had affected, for more than half of them, their willingness to visit the town centre. Two thirds of those surveyed felt that they would be reassured by CCTV with the remainder opting for an increase in police presence. All of them felt they would be safer with CCTV and only one of the respondents expressed concern as to the impact of CCTV on the person's civil liberty.

The second survey covered people who were regular visitors to the town centre and again all were still concerned about crime in Shipley. Just over half had felt that since the system was introduced almost twelve months previously, CCTV had impacted positively upon their concerns about crime. A third, however, did not feel so sure and the remainder were unsure or unaware of the system.

Again, crimes of violence were of most concern; 41 % stated that CCTV had affected positively their concerns about these crimes with the remainder being equally split between being unsure or making no changes.

In detailing the areas where the public were most concerned, nearly a third specified the Market Square with another third specifying unlit areas or areas around cash machines, with the remainder being concerned about the Town Centre in general. 45% stated that CCTV had made a positive difference to their concerns in these areas and the remainder were equally split between making no difference or unsure or unaware of the impact.

The respondents were then asked at what times of the day they would be most concerned. The evening and night accounted for 90% of their worries. When asked if CCTV had made any difference to their concerns about these times, 41% stated, 'Yes', 37% 'No' and 21% were unsure or unaware.

The survey revealed that 41% of them now avoided using the Town Centre due to crime as opposed to the 62% who avoided it before CCTV was installed. As regards personal privacy, 92% were not concerned as to the intrusion on their lives but 8% were.

ANCILLARY ANECDOTAL ISSUES

At Appendix '13' there is an edition of the Summer 1998 'Crime Fighter' and on page 9 of that free paper there is an article relating to CCTV in West Yorkshire. Amongst the article are the following quotes:

John Midgley, Dewsbury Town Centre Manager: "Existing businesses and new ones wanting to invest in the area will be greatly encouraged by the new safety enhancing project."

Dewsbury Division Commander, Superintendent Steve Banks: "Neither area (Dewsbury and Batley) suffers from any serious problems but this project will reassure shoppers and others and help them feel safer. It is will be an enormous benefit to them and fit in well alongside other existing projects such as the highly successful Shopwatch scheme in Dewsbury where traders are in direct radio contact with patrolling officers.

At Appendix '14' is a further edition of 'Crime Fighter' and on pages 14 and 15 there are eight photographs of males and females whose faces have been captured on CCTV systems and are circulated as being wanted for a variety of criminal actions. This type of article, or for that matter television programmes such as Crimewatch, would not be possible without the installation of CCTV systems.

In this area of West Yorkshire there is a group called 'One in Twelve' who have a website 'KDIS on line'. The group has an anarchist background and espouses the views of liberty. There has been considerable communication between the City of Bradford MDC, Shipley Town Centre Management and the group in relation to the Shipley scheme and CCTV in general. At Appendix '15' there is a large amount of material relating to the subject of CCTV emanating from the group's website. There is also a reply from Bradford Council to the 'One in Twelve' group, headed by a Mr. Tony Grogan, in which the Council clearly states its case in relation to new and extended CCTV schemes. The organisation is irrevocably and implacably opposed to the idea of CCTV, mainly from a libertarian standpoint.

The Metropolitan Borough of Bradford has inculcated a very strong code of practice in relation to the use of CCTV in public thoroughfares which was based on the 'Looking Out For You' pamphlet issued by the Local Government Information Unit. There has not been any leak of material from the tape storage area of the monitoring unit in Shipley or in relation to any other areas. The security of the room and of its contents is kept to a very high standard and information is gathered and recorded professionally.

It is generally accepted that everyone would like more police officers on the beat and that CCTV is a cheaper alternative to that desire. The 'One in Twelve' group appears to accept the oft vaunted stance that the cost of installing CCTV is the same as the employment of three or four policemen and is therefore a waste of time. They seem not to understand that the policemen would have to be paid every year on a revenue basis as opposed to a one off capital cost of installation. Similarly, they seem not to accept that it takes 5.6 officers to put one policeman on the beat for 24 hours a day.

Whilst their contribution is much welcomed and provides an opportunity to enter into serious dialogue regarding the fears and approbation of the general public, it is still accepted by 90% of the public that there is no reason to fear CCTV of the recording of images therefrom. It may be thought, however, that the following contributions are bordering on hysteria when it states that..

"The technology is more powerful than you realise

The camera systems being established across Britain use sophisticated military technology. They often have infra red night vision, automatic tracking, remote control, audio channels and a zoom so powerful that it can scrutinise your facial blemishes in full colour at 200 yards. Central control rooms are being equipped with sophisticated computer and telecommunications technology which link directly to police compute rsystem. And the technology being planned is even more frightening. In the near future many camera systems will incorporate parabolic microphones to detect conversations on the street, in parks, in shops and in restaurants. And sophisticated software already on the market will allow the cameras to analyse the movement and activities of individuals or groups in public places."

From my investigations, the Metropolitan Borough of Bradford has no such desires and has a truly accountable system that more than makes up for any intrusion into people's privacy. The monitoring is being done professionally against a strict code of practice that has been approved by elected members.

There was much debate in the local press before the system was installed and when stories that have demonstrated its use have come to light then they have been reported upon.

At Appendix '16' there is an article from the Telegraph Argus issued on Monday, 28th December, 1998. It relates to teenagers being seen setting a fire in the town centre. This incident is also referred to in a series of anecdotal tales from the local police inspector which is shown in full hereunder and at Appendix '16'. In relation to this article about the fire it is clear that, had the incident not been seen by the CCTV operators, then a much more serious conflagration could have ensued.

The law both nationally and in Europe is being strengthened to protect the rights of individuals in respect of the covert recording of imagery. As Bradford have from the outset made it unequivocally clear that the installation of CCTV is totally overt, then the scheme will be unaffected by the legislation which relates, as said previously, only to covert activities.

EXAMPLES OF CCTV USE FROM A POLICE PERSPECTIVE

Robbery: A taxi driver took a passenger to the autobank in Kirkgate in order to obtain monies to pay his fair. The passenger was robbed at the autobank, having his card and PIN number stolen. CCTV obtained details of vehicles used and food images of those involved. Most importantly, when arrested, the suspects denied the allegation and as there was only one complainant / witness, would not have been charged due to lack of corroboration.

Rape Allegation: Two teenage girls were approached by a man in a vehicle at the Market Square bus stops. They went with him and allegedly sexual assaults followed. The CCTV footage was able to corroborate the girls' story and identify the type of vehicle used. This was later instrumental in identifying the driver.

Armed Robbery Information: Information was received that an armed robbery was to be carried out at a local jewellers. CCTV was utilised to observe the premises with officers nearby on standby. This alleviated the necessity of observation vehicles / points, etc., hence saving time, money and resources. A number of suspicious persons identified by CCTV were stopped and questioned and this probably prevented an offence occurring as nothing further was heard. The shop owner and his staff were greatly reassured that they were being monitored by the system.

Assault with Intent to Rob: The complainant was set upon in ASDA car park and money demanded at knifepoint. Although the attack was not in an area covered by CCTV the operators back tracked the complainant's movements and the suspects were seen following him through Wellcroft. No identifications were made but the images allowed many likely local suspects to be eliminated, avoiding costly and time consuming interviews 1 enquiries.

Arson: Local youths were seen by the CCTV operator disappearing into the doorway of the Superdrug store. He then saw the reflection of fire in the glass window. Police were alerted and attended to find that lighted papers were being pushed through the letterbox. Two persons were arrested. Without this timely intervention, it is possible that a serious fire would have resulted.

Criminal Damage: Again to Superdrug. A group of youths were seen causing a nuisance outside the store. The police were alerted and attended, check them out and moved them on. Later a window was broken by the same gang, allowing police to follow up and detect the offence.

Disorder: Numerous incidents of disorder and assault have been identified and monitored by CCTV. One was a large fight involving 20 persons with weapons. Early intervention by police prevented the situation getting out of hand or serious injuries being caused. Other groups of disorderly youths have been tracked through the town, again allowing the police to intervene. A key advantage of this " of monitoring is that police can provide the correct level of response to the numbers and violence involved. This helps officer safety and effective use of resources.

CRIME AND DISORDER REDUCTION STRATEGY - 1999 - 2002

Earlier this year the City of Bradford issued a document entitled, 'Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy 1999 - 2002'. The document relates to Bradford and surrounding towns such as Shipley. The document was produced jointly by the Council and the police and has taken into account the views of the members of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership which is made up from many differing groups.

At page 30 under the heading of 'Tackling the Fear of Crime and Improving the Quality of Life for all Communities' it states, "... The Crime and Disorder Audit identified a significant gap between the actuality of crime and the fear of crime experienced in the District. The Speak Out! Survey carried out in 1998 identifted fear of violent crime such as assaults, robbery, mugging, racial and sexual attacks as a general fear which is not linked to either expectation or past experience of being a victim. Speak Out! also identified that people's expectations of being a victim of crime over the next twelve months was -far higher than actual experiences of being a victim of crime over the last two years.

The survey identified that 15 per cent of people feel unsafe within their own homes whilst 21 per cent feel unsafe within their neighbourhoods. Nearly 50 per cent of residents in the District think crime has increased in their neighbourhood over the two years and over 33 per cent have changed their behaviour because of the fear of crime with 90 per cent of residents leaving their lights on when going out in the evenings.

In relation to solutions, residents believe that more police patrols on foot, police targeting of known criminals and drug dealers, more police car patrols and more security cameras (CCTV) will help to reduce the fear of crime. Sadly, there are very few new resources to tackle crime and disorder in the District, indeed the Council, Police and other agencies are facing more cutbacks. Although increasing police foot and car patrols may not be achievable, police resources are being used more effectively to target known offenders and drug dealings. With no new resources for police services, it is vital that other forms of visible uniform presence in our communities are identified. Possible solutions include recruiting more special constables; working closely with local communities through Neighbourhood Watch type schemes; making sure that other agencies who have staff working in local communities encourage and train staff to be more alert and vigilant and to take appropriate steps to report crime and, where possible, prevent crime.

Finally, there are CCTV schemes in operation in towns and city centres in the District. They are not the panacea in tackling crime or the fear of crime, however, along with other measures, CCTV can help to make people feel safer and more confident in using these public areas. It is vital that all our CCTV schemes are monitored and information recorded adequately.

More importantly, it is essential that communities have a sense of pride in the District as this in itself will help to reduce the fear of crime and improve the quality of life. Working with the Media and local communities, efforts need to be made to promote the reductions in crime and to support work being done in the District by agencies and communities to improve the quality of life for all."

In accordance with the sentiments expressed in the Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy, it is noted that, as shown at Appendix '17', Shipley are trying to encourage the installation of a Shipley retailer's radio link.

It is acknowledged by the police and the Town Centre Management Group in Shipley that the CCTV system is only one aspect in a whole basket of crime safety measures that work best when used together.

Since my interim visit in October 1998, which was reported on in Appendix '5', a number of alterations and upgrades have occurred. There were problems with some aspects of the cabling from Shipley to Keighley but these have now been replaced. The software in relation to the cameras has been upgraded allowing for more random slower walks, thereby reducing the wear to the joints.

All the tapes have been replaced and a degausser installed to allow for better quality recording. Tape storage has been improved and the recording medium for Shipley has now been reduced from 72 hour time lapse to 12. The recording heads on the time lapse video recorders are being exchanged and a new log book taken into use to ensure that recording quality is kept to an efficient maximum.

The CCTV supervisor acknowledges that working conditions are at best average, but understands the rationale why.

The trees in the town centre have been pruned. The monitoring staff have been on courses to improve their overall use of the systems. The CCTV and its use have been aired regularly on the local radio and has received good feedback from the public with no obvious dissent.

Communication between the police, the monitoring centre and council has been upgraded via E-mail and there is a tangible desire for CCTV to work and play its part in the wider elements of community safety.

CONCLUSIONS

It is accepted by all the contributors to this report from the Shipley and Bradford area that the CCTV systems in use are not the panacea for all evils. The system has been installed cost effectively at £130,000 and the revenue costs of monitoring it have been kept low (approximately £12,000 per year) because the monitoring room looks after two other areas as well. Discussions are taking place in Bradford about extending systems to cover some car parks, etc. and about setting up a central monitoring facility for the whole of the Council.

This development would be welcomed, not only for the quality of the recordings, but mainly for the management of the system. By having just one facility, it would mean that there could be even tighter controls in relation to the storage and use of the imagery concerned, but from a community safety point of view, it would allow for 24 hour monitoring as opposed to the current 16 hours.

The Shipley CCTV system is, to a certain extent, still in its infancy, but it is acting as a catalyst for discussion about community safety and is being 'owned' by a larger number of residents and businesses.

The crime and public order trends are improving and demonstrably so.

The number of voids in commercial premises has dropped.

Its efficacy will improve when Shopwatch / Storenet schemes are brought into being. Lastly, the CCTV will allow for special projects in relation to community safety to be carried out by the police and local authority acting in harmony for the benefit of the public.

T.H. Barton.

Director.

INTER FORCE ASSISTANCE LTD

(e-mail TrevorBarton@interforceassistance.freeserve.co.uk)


APPENDICES

APPENDIX'1' Shipley CCTV Partnership Scheme Bid Document

APPENDIX '2' Letter of Appointment.

APPENDIX '3' Home Office Implementation and Evaluation Questionnaire

APPENDIX '4' Letter to Home Office Crime Prevention Agency

APPENDIX '5' Interim Evaluation Memorandum

APPENDIX '6' Recorded crime in the West Yorkshire Police Force area for the years 1996, 1997 and 1998

APPENDIX '7' Comparison of Crime Statistics between West Yorkshire Police and Pudsey Town Centre

APPENDIX '8' Comparison between Force crime statistics, Pudsey Town Centre and Shipley Town Centre.

APPENDLX '9' Survey of Incidences of Offences that are not classified as Crime

APPENDIX '10' Comparison of arrest statistics in relation to total arrests and public order arrests for the Eceleshill Division from 1.6.97 to 31.5.98 and 1.6.98 to 31.5.99

APPENDIX '11' Public Perception Survey was carried out by the Shipley and District Crime Prevention Panel

APPENDIX '12' Second Public Perception Survey was carried out by the Shipley and District Crime Prevention Panel

APPENDIX '13' Article from the Summer 1998 edition of 'Crime Fighter' relating to CCTV in West Yorkshire.

APPENDIX '14' Further article from 'Crime Fighter' showing photographs of offenders

APPENDIX '15' Material relating to the 'One in Twelve' group.

APPENDIX '16' Article from the Telegraph Argus relating to teenagers setting fire to shop premises in the town centre.

List of 'Examples of CCTV use from Police Perspective'.

APPENDIX '17" Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy 1999 - 2002


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