New technology to prevent crime in Bassetlaw will be coming into force soon.
Nottinghamshire Police is in the process of installing a series of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras on major routes in and out of the area.
The cameras, which will be installed temporarily, are joint-funded by Nottinghamshire Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Nottinghamshire County Council’s Community Safety Committee.
The cameras will be overtly positioned on roads and will electronically read the number plates of vehicles as they pass.
The information will help reduce the number of burglaries in rural villages and help catch offenders.
This comes after a successful similar project in another area on Nottinghamshire to combat high levels of burglary.
Research shows that in the first year of the cameras being installed in Ashfield, there was a reduction in burglaries of 36% in the area, with a further 41% drop between 2014/15.
The Information Commissioners Office inspected the use of the cameras in 2014 and recommended them as national best practice.
Neil Bellamy, the district commander for Bassetlaw, said: “Having seen the success the cameras have had in reducing crime in Ashfield south, I am confident that this tool will help catch offenders in Bassetlaw.
“I would also like to stress to the people of Bassetlaw that these cameras can only be used for the prevention of crime and detecting vehicles without insurance or MOT. Our actions will be proportionate and lawful at all times, and once the cameras are no longer necessary we will remove them.”
DCI Andy Gowan, leading the project, said: “We have already seen how our cameras have been successful in helping to cut similar crime in other areas of Nottinghamshire and believe it will make a valuable difference to policing in the area.
“The ANPR shield is there to help us protect our rural community from criminal road users.”
Research has shown that whilst crime in Bassetlaw is amongst the lowest in the county, burglaries continue to remain an issue.
In November 2015, there were 84 reports of burglary in the area.
As well as providing a visual deterrent, the cameras will lead to prevention of further offences as well as acting as a tool for police to target offenders travelling into the area.
It will be used for different locations in the Bassetlaw area – ensuring a long term benefit for the community.
A police spokesman said the cameras will only be used to review vehicles that are suspected of being involved in crime or are being used by criminals.
In all other cases any information the cameras collect is stored securely and is automatically deleted if it isn’t required after a period of time.
The data isn’t shared with any other agency or body unless it is to do with crime prevention or detection. The cameras will not be used for speed enforcement.
Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, who supports the project, said: “It’s important that we use every device at our disposal to tackle crime and ANPR technology is proven to be one of the most effective tools we have when it comes to disrupting criminal activity.
“I believe that this scheme will both deter people from committing crime in the first place and help us catch those who are reckless enough to try.”
MAV IQ – Intelligent ANPR Camera
Source: Worksop Chronicle
