Funding approved to invest in CCTV network in Borough of Scarborough
The Council has agreed to more than £250,000 to improve the infrastructure
Funding has been approved to invest more than £250,000 into the CCTV network in the Borough of Scarborough.
The Council says there are currently 244 cameras across Filey, Whitby and Scarborough which are monitored 24 hours a day.
The money will pay for upgrades to 28 of them, from analogue to digital, to improve the way they work and image quality.
Carl Maw, Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities and Housing, said: "There's understandable concerns from some people when we talk about surveillance and its infringement abilities or when CCTV technology gets into the wrong hands, but unfortunately we do need to strike a balance between people's individual freedoms and also stopping other people from other individual's freedoms.
"So CCTV is an important necessity to be quite honest. This is shown when residents were consulted for the corporate plan that anti-social behaviour was named as the second most important priority within the borough. The plan also noted that there was widespread support for CCTV in keeping people safe.
"Much of the current equipment is nearing its life ends. It needs upgrading to continue in its service. Some of the analogue cameras, particularly around Scarborough town centre, are 20-years-old and there's been no substantial investment for over a decade. Not only does this CCTV infrastructure help with crime detection, such as fly-tipping, it's also helped the police.
"There's also a prevention angle with CCTV being present where it makes opportunists think twice. There's the fact that it's helped us in the past locate vulnerable missing people but the key is that it makes people feel safe and it also makes people feel more reassured."