CCTV cameras covering Sudbury and Hadleigh are now being monitored locally at Sudbury Police Station thanks to Babergh District Council, in a further bid to improve detection rates in the two market towns.

The new control room for the district replaces the previous system whereby images from the towns were viewed in Ipswich. This means that local officers and staff with the relevant knowledge can use the system more effectively to respond to any incidents which may occur, to keep the public safe and detect more offences.

The Babergh Community Safety Partnership, which brings together a range of organisations to develop ways of tackling crime and disorder, has made funds available to increase the use of local monitoring of the CCTV system. The move is part of a review of Community Safety work at the council, which has also seen the full establishment of a specialist team there and increasingly effective joint working between the Police and the District Council in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.

Sudbury Neighbourhood Inspector Paul Crick says, “By having local control of the system, officers have a big advantage over the remote viewing of footage. We have used the new CCTV arrangement to respond quickly to situations before they can get out of hand, with the operator passing information to officers on the ground. It also provides a more joined up way of working with Pubwatch in Sudbury – licensees let us know of any alcohol-related crime and disorder on their radios, the CCTV operator can instantly view the area concerned and officers will have a full picture of what is happening upon arrival.”

The new CCTV arrangement is also delivering better value for money to Babergh residents. Babergh District Council funding is being used to provide dedicated, real-time monitoring particularly focused on those times when most incidents occur.

Babergh Councillor Nick Ridley, chair of the Community Safety Partnership, explains. “The money saved by cancelling the previous contract will be used to pay for improved monitoring of the system. Not only will this mean better and more effective use of CCTV, but it will also mean a lower cost to the Council. The primary aim here is to use the system as effectively as possible and although CCTV isn’t the answer to every crime and disorder issue, it can be a very useful tool.”

“In a very low crime area like Babergh, one of the key challenges is to find ways to drive crime levels down even further. The Babergh Community Safety Partnership has identified criminal damage and public order issues as two key concerns for the area and made the management of our town centres, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, a priority. There are strong links between these sorts of incidents and the irresponsible use of alcohol by the minority, and the relocation of the CCTV control room is one of a number of measures that are being put in place to tackle these issues.”