CCTV in Stratford District
In 1995, Stratford-on-Avon District Council introduced CCTV cameras in the larger towns within the district.
The funds for the cameras and the associated control and command equipment were made available by Stratford-on-Avon District Council combined with substantial grant aid from The Home Office as part of Central Government's Crime Reduction Programme.
This CCTV installation process began in Stratford-upon-Avon. Cameras were first installed to cover the main shopping streets, car parks and known problem areas. The Stratford CCTV scheme proved to be a tremendously valuable resource in the battle against crime and, encouraged by this success, CCTV coverage was extended to Studley and then to Alcester.
The results from all towns were very encouraging and led Stratford-on-Avon District Council to extend CCTV coverage to Shipston-on-Stour, Southam and Bidford and to extend the coverage in Stratford-upon-Avon.
In 2005, in conjunction with Warwickshire Police, Stratford-on-Avon District Council installed ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) software.
In 2006, the scheme was again expanded in Stratford-upon-Avon and to key sites in Wellesbourne, as well as taking on the monitoring of the CCTV cameras at the Warwickshire County Council Park and Ride site in Stratford.
In 2008, Stratford-on-Avon District Council invested a significant sum of money to upgrade the existing VHS tape system to a state-of-the-art digital recording system, allowing for simpler use and near instant playback of footage.
The scheme expanded again in 2012 and 2013, implementing cameras in Henley-in-Arden and additional coverage in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 2015, the Stratford-on-Avon District Council CCTV service was moved into the remit of the Community Safety service.
In December 2018 Stratford-on-Avon District Council approved funding for a full upgrade of the Council's public space CCTV scheme which operates across eight towns in Stratford District. This was the first major investment in CCTV technology since 2008.
Stratford District CCTV upgrade
In December 2018, Stratford-on-Avon District Council approved a budget of £796,000 for a full upgrade of the Council's public space CCTV scheme which operates across eight towns in Stratford District. This was the first major investment in CCTV technology since 2008.
The upgrade scheme led to a number of improvements in all areas of CCTV including;
- An upgraded CCTV Control Room and server room equipment
- Implementation of a new CCTV operating system
- Replacing all 87 existing analogue cameras for digital cameras
- Upgrading BT fibres lines to transmit digital images from the cameras to the CCTV Control Room
- Installation of new cameras at strategic locations
Necessity for new cameras
In deciding where to install new CCTV cameras a number of factors were taken into consideration in determining the necessity for a camera:
- Crime and disorder data
- Intelligence
- Perceptions of crime and disorder
- Police, Council and stakeholder views & public requests for cameras
- Current approaches to tackling crime in the area
Our Code Practice is based on the 12 Guiding Principles listed in the Home Office Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.
Process for installing new cameras
- Suitable locations for a CCTV camera were identified, providing the best vantage point and proximity to the services needed for the camera.
- Stratford-on-Avon District Council will seek the views of those in the vicinity including any concerns regarding privacy. This is part of the Impact Assessment process.
- As a part of the process taken by Stratford-on-Avon District Council justification and evidence gathering has taken place in order to decide on the proposed location and will be used through other official process that must take place such as the completion of Privacy Impact Assessments.
- An analysis of crime and anti-social behaviour that takes place in the locality of the camera. A number of other sources and liaison with key partners also informs the approach.
For further information about the CCTV upgrade please contact - trevor.pepper@stratford-dc.gov.uk
