CRIMINALS will soon be under the watchful eye of more CCTV cameras across Middlesbrough as the council approves plans to spend £350,000 on surveillance.

The council initially agreed to spend £400,000 on CCTV back in February 2021, however only released £50,000 of the cash until a report was submitted about the effectiveness of the cameras.

The first £50,000 paid for 11 cameras to be installed in areas across Middlesbrough – there were 139 counts of crime and antisocial behaviour committed prior to the surveillance, falling to 119 counts after CCTV was fitted.

Read more: Jobs uncertainty at Teesside Airport fire training centre

A further 42 cameras were also installed across Newport ward using Safer Streets funding, leading to a reduction of crime and anti-social behaviour by 19.7 percent.

Cllr Tony Grainge, the executive member for neighbourhood safety, said: “The report has shown that CCTV has worked in reducing crime, reducing anti-social behaviour and also fly tipping.

“There’s been a fear of the crime going on in areas and people feel like they’ve not been looked after. We found the CCTV has decreased their fear.”

According to a council report, instances of fly tipping have been caught on camera leading to enforcement action.

Information captured by CCTV cameras has also been passed on to Cleveland Police on 419 occasions, with 192 instances resulting in further action and it has even been used as evidence to bring offenders to justice.

Andy Preston said: “The public love CCTV cameras for three reasons.

“One is that it deters crime, when there are cameras around people are much less inclined to behave badly.

“Secondly if they do behave badly or commit crime, it’s much easier to catch them.

“There are scores of cases going through the courts where it’s only happening because they have been caught on CCTV.

“The third reason is that people feel safe, they make people feel much safer walking out to the shops. So it’s a great thing.”

He went on to add that around 25 new cameras will be arriving in Hemlington in the “coming week or so”.

The mayor added: “It will not solve issues overnight but will make a difference to people’s lives.

“Criminals hate them, so we know it’s a good thing, so we will keep doing it.

“There will be a lot of cameras across the whole town. Every area should have some and that’s the goal but there will be concentrated areas where people suffer more.

“I think this is a really really good thing we’ll be doing here.”

The 11 areas where cameras have been installed already are:

Netherfields Crescent

Chesterwood

Harford Street Alley

Addington Drive

Portman Street

Thorntree Park

Rear of Pallister Avenue/ Longlands Road

Saltersgill Avenue

Northern Road

Bramwith Avenue

Centre Square

 

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054