Woodthorpe residents encouraged to have their say on CCTV plans

Local Lib Dem councillors are encouraging residents to have their say on plans designed to tackle anti social behaviour in parts of Woodthorpe.

Example of a body-worn CCTV camera

Residents have expressed concern about vandalism and anti social behaviour in the Ashbourne Way and Summerfield Road area and also around the newly-refurbished playground at Woodthorpe Green.

In response, the Ward Budget is being used to fund a six-month trial of daily visits by a Gough & Kelly security patrol with body-worn cameras.

The aim is to gather evidence of the nature of the problems, with a view to informing a decision about whether a fixed CCTV camera would be beneficial.

The survey, which has been set up by Gough & Kelly, can be accessed at  https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TH7XT3Q

The questions posed in the survey are:

  1. Do you feel there is a need for patrols with body-worn video in the Summerfield Road / Ashbourne Way area?
  2. Would having patrols make you feel safer?
  3. Are you happy that patrols have been considered as a way of documenting evidence to support the installation of a fixed CCTV camera?
  4. Are you happy for images of you to be recorded and stored for 31 days?
  5. Can you think of incidents where CCTV would have been useful in the area?
  6. Do you have any other comments, questions or concerns?

More invisible policemen coming to York? “Big Brother” fears!

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ANPR camera use to be extended

The Council has announced that it will use camera cars to enforce zig zag parking restrictions outside schools.

This is likely to be of limited value at some schools where some parents park on yellow lines, verges and block access driveways.

Use of such camera cars has been controversial in other towns and cities but the vehicle may give some comfort to schools and their immediate neighbours.

Ironically the DfT is just completing its public consultation on car parking. One of the options being considered is to limit the use of CCTV cameras near schools!

More significantly in York, Labour Councillors are now proposing to extend the use of number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in the City.

ANPR cameras have been responsible for identifying over 50,000 drivers on Coppergate and Lendal Bridge, with fines totalling around £1 million already issued.

Clearly this potential cash cow has proved to be attractive to the Council.

It will decide later today to introduce camera enforcement of more bus lanes later this year with a target income of £50,000.

It is also budgeting to receive an additional £100,000 in 2015 from the “Further introduction of ANPR enforcement measures across the City where network congestion can be improved”.

The budget papers published by the Council make no mention of how much revenue they except to raise from the continued use of the Coppergate (or Lendal Bridge) cameras during the next financial year.

York congestion cameras still not working – York Council

Moving York’s CCTV cameras onto a system that provides residents with real time information on traffic congestion “has required more recoding of the website’s processing system than originally anticipated.” the responsible Councillor has admitted.

click to access

click to access

Live camera information has been available in North Yorkshire for several years but the York equivalent has been dogged by delays despite investment of over £300,000.

The Council now says that “this additional work is now almost complete and the CCTV images should be available on the website during October / November”.

For the mobile applications the updates required will be included in the next update releases of the apps, expected later this year.”

We will see.

Shame they weren’t working for today’s Yorkshire Marathon