PETERBOROUGH: Home cameras to help stop the yobs

Home cameras to help stop the yobs

RESIDENTS in the Greater Dogsthorpe area plagued by anti-social behaviour are being loaned CCTV cameras in an effort to catch the yobs blighting their lives on a daily basis.

People living in the Greater Dogsthorpe area of Peterborough can now record the stone-throwing and window-smashing as it happens – thanks to the extension of a CCTV camera scheme.

The joint initiative between Greater Dogsthorpe Partnership (GDP), Cross Keys Homes and Victim Support Peterborough has seen five more cameras being bought.

The plan is for cameras to be mounted outside the homes of people who have suffered from three or more incidents of crime or anti-social behaviour within a six-month period.

Costing about £460 each, they will be installed for free by a Victim Support volunteer for about one month to deter further attacks and to collect high quality evidence for police action.

Peterborough's Victim Support launched its portable CCTV scheme last summer after Cross Keys Homes funded a camera.

Although none of the five new ones have been loaned out yet, branch manager of Victim Support Peterborough Carol North said they would be a "huge deterrent".

She said: "The crimes in the area are mainly to do with criminal damage against property.

"One day, someone may have their window broken, and the next day, the offender comes along and breaks their fence.

"The evidence can be presented to police and it gives them the power to be able to arrest or caution someone.

"Victims have the reassurance that someone is watching and collecting evidence and it helps to a huge extent.

"Quite often crime goes down because of the cameras."

GDP neighbourhood director Graeme Clark said the cameras helped reduce the fear of crime and provided reassurance to victims repeatedly targeted by anti-social behaviour.

He added: "Using temporary CCTV cameras in this way reduces incidents of repeat victimisation for households, either through deterring offenders or by capturing images which could be used in an investigation."

Anti-social behaviour manager at Cross Keys Homes Joan Tibbs said: "Experience shows that all people who have used the equipment feel safer, and incidents have reduced considerably.

"Evidence that has been collected in this way has already been used to support at least one prosecution elsewhere."

Councillor for the area Bella Saltmarsh said: "Anything which helps stamp out anti-social behaviour is to be welcomed."

She said some residents living in the flats above the shops in Central Avenue had complained about youngsters climbing fences and jumping on their car roof.

YOUR SHOUT on the extension of CCTV

Carol Stephenson (44), who works at the Spar, on Welland Road, Dogsthorpe: "I think CCTV outside homes is a good idea. It probably won't stop them at first, but once they're caught, they will go somewhere else."

Kauser Chundavadra (39) (pictured with her son Vishaan (4), of Chestnut Avenue, Dogsthorpe: "I think it's fantastic. I don't venture to the Welland side very often and some places have become no-go zones."

Danny Tuffs (16), of Ferndale Way, Dogsthorpe: "It's ago because there is a big gang walking round at night time shouting abuse. Also, someone broke the side mirror on my dad's car."

Thomas Rimes (15), of Central Avenue, Dogsthorpe: "Someone set my neighbour's van on fire. There is a park opposite and gangs go there. People will see the cameras and they'll go away."

Matthew Holmes (38), of New England: "I use the Central Avenue shops.
"I think Dogsthorpe has the same problems as everywhere. It's minor crime and vandalism mainly. People go by on bikes and damage cars."

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