|
 This page provides information about Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) operated by Wrexham County Borough Council.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is a television system which operates on a "closed loop" basis. Unlike broadcast television which is available to anyone with a suitable receiver, CCTV pictures are only available to those directly connected to the loop, which in Wrexham's case is the central monitoring control room. The loop is a physical link consisting of a fibre optic cable which carries the picture from the camera to a monitor.
 Please also see frequently asked questions about CCTV >>
 Background
The Town Centre CCTV scheme was first established in November 1996 with twelve strategically placed cameras located within Wrexham town centre.
A Central Control Room (CCR) was established from the outset to provide continuous monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Following a number of project implementations since 1996 the number of cameras has substantially increased and Wrexham’s extensive network now covers numerous town centre and village locations.
As a direct result of partnership projects, Wrexham’s CCTV network has also expanded to provide additional security at Wrexham Industrial Estate, the Wrexham Maelor Hospital and also a number of shopping park developments around Wrexham Town Centre.
^ back to the top
 Impact of CCTV
The success of CCTV in reducing incidents of crime and disorder and the
fear of crime in the areas covered has been marked. Information from North
Wales Police indicates that the introduction of CCTV together with the
development of the Town Centre Police Team led to a 52% reduction in crime
within the town centre in the first year of operation.
From local research on crime and disorder, confirmed by the findings
of the community needs assessment, it is clear that CCTV has also contributed
to reducing the fear of crime and increasing the perception of security
in the areas covered by the cameras. Significant investment on CCTV has
taken place within the town centre and has produced results. Surveys of
public opinion show significant support for the use of CCTV within the
town centre with a high percentage of people indicating they want CCTV
within their community.
^ Back to the top
Funding for CCTV
CCTV schemes have been funded by a combination of public and private
contribution. The bulk of the running costs are met by Wrexham County
Borough Council, though there are contributions from retailers and other
organisations for some cameras.
A number of public and private partnership funding arrangements have
been successfully implemented. Examples include the Island Green and Henblas
Square retail developments where the developer paid the capital costs
of the cameras and contribute to revenue costs , and on the Wrexham Industrial Estate the businesses contribute to the maintenance and monitoring costs. In the public sector the
North Wales Health Authority contributes to the revenue costs for coverage
at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Home Office funding in 2000 and 2002 from the Crime
Reduction Programme CCTV initiative (linkt to external website) and the Targeted Policing Initiative, has also funded the expansion of Wrexham’s CCTV network into residential areas, Wrexham Industrial Estate and the Maelor Hospital.
Capital investment for previous schemes at the Rail and Bus stations and
a major junction on the Wrexham inner ring road were also funded by the
Home Office.
Any expansion of the CCTV system will be subject to revenue costs being
identified to contribute proportionately to the ongoing cost for transmission,
control room staff, equipment maintenance and premises.
^ Back to the top
Strategy for CCTV
In response to the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act the Wrexham Crime and
Disorder Reduction Strategy Group was established to form a partnership
between the local authority, Police, health authority and others following the identification of five strategic priorities for 1999 - 2002. Further information on these strategic priorities can be found in the Crime & Disorder Reduction Strategy.
The
Group conducted a further audit of crime and disorder identifying six strategic
priority areas. Based on these priorities a strategy has been developed for
the period 2002- 2005 to reduce:
The overall crime reduction strategy has informed policy and strategies
for CCTV deployment as part of a number of initiatives to reduce crime
and the fear of crime.
The Partnership's strategy is to look to expand CCTV within the town
centre and in outlying rural and village locations where the audit indicates
there is a concentration of crime and where it is considered that CCTV
can make a significant impact as part of other crime reduction initiatives.
Please
also see frequently asked questions about CCTV >>
|
Cymraeg
Back to the top