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Measures to make city streets feel safer

CCTV camera New CCTV cameras, improved street lighting and ‘help points’ – stand-alone emergency points – are in the pipeline as part of a package of measures being introduced to make people, especially women and girls, feel safer as they go about their business.

A decision has been signed this week which will allow officers to order equipment ready for work to start onsite early in the New Year.

The package is part of the city’s Safer Streets 3 funding awarded by the Home Office earlier this year. The fund specifically targets Violence against Women and Girls crimes and aims to improve feelings of safety by

•  Strengthening the local environment to improve safe passage

•  Targeted prevention activity

•   Helping the community to develop their own solutions, reclaim community spaces and improve guardianship.

The decision will push the button on procurement and planning work that will see five new CCTV cameras installed at the following locations:

  • Subway on North Hill
  • Athenaeum Street
  • Sawrey Street, Millbay
  • Union Street outside Lidl
  • New Street, the Barbican

They will be monitored by the city’s dedicated CCTV control room which has 24 hour cover with remote access in place for emergency services, Plymouth against Retail Crime, Traffic Monitoring and Public Protection teams. The cameras can also provide extra lighting in the event of an incident. These new cameras are in addition to the 354 already in place around the city. A dozen help points are to be installed at the following locations:

  • Southside Street junction Friary’s Lane and another outside the Crown & Anchor pub
  • West Hoe Park
  • Old Town Street
  • Armada Way – Sundial
  • Royal Parade - Centre Pedestrian Crossing
  • Union Street – Octagon and outside Lidl
  • Mutley Plain
  • North Hill
  • Mayflower Street
  • King Street
  • High Street

The locations were selected as these are high footfall areas with shops and or local schools nearby. The well-lit help points will be installed near new and existing CCTV installations offering increased surveillance. Anyone who uses them is automatically connected to the CCTV control room. The cameras nearby can also move to pick up the help points and staff in the control room can monitor a situation while an appropriate emergency response is on its way.

In addition over 50 street lighting improvements will be carried out. These will be mainly in areas of higher footfall where there is both a perceived fear as well as statistically higher crime rates. These will mainly be in the areas where people are out drinking and clubbing in the city centre, along the waterfront, North Hill and Mutley.

Council Leader Nick Kelly said: “I know a lot people will be reassured by this news. We need to make sure everybody but especially women and girls feel safe when they walk around our streets. We know physical improvements in and around our city is not the only answer – but it is step in the right direction.”

The Leader of the Council has authorised the business case, formally accepted the Home Office grant of £512,083 which will be distributed through separate funding agreements to partners, allocated £299,661 for the project into the Capital Programme, allowing the procurement process to start urgently as well as delegate the award of the contract to Service Director of Community Connections.

This scheme is externally funded by the Home Office and was secured via a partnership bid with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Council, NSPCC, Eddystone Trust, University of Plymouth, Devon & Cornwall Community Watch Association, Street Pastors.