A new CCTV camera has been installed in the Maple Park area to help improve safety following Ipswich Borough Council’s successful bid for government funding.
The camera, which has been funded from the £422,200 awarded to the Council through the government’s Safer Streets Fund, will move around four locations, identified by the Police to deter crime and anti-social behaviour, helping residents feel reassured and safer when out and about. Footage will be monitored by the Council’s 24-hour Emergency Control Centre.
Cllr Alasdair Ross, Ipswich Borough Council’s Community Protection Portfolio Holder, says:
“New measures such as this will help make life better for people living in the area, as not only will it reduce crime but it will also reduce the fear of it. This is just one of the many improvements we are working on as part of our Safer Streets project and we will continue to work hard through our Community Safety Partnership to identify and introduce measures that will help make Ipswich a safer place to live, work and study.”
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, says:
“It’s really important that people feel safe in their homes and their communities so I am delighted to see this investment in CCTV in the Maple Park area of Ipswich which will help reduce crime and the fear of crime. I hope this additional coverage to the existing network of CCTV cameras in our county town, and the other crime prevention measures funded by this Safer Streets Fund, will provide reassurance to local residents and businesses in the area.
“This investment also sends a clear message to those tempted to commit crime in the area that the cameras are being monitored 24/7 and their actions will be recorded which will massively assist the police in securing convictions.”
So far, the money awarded as part of the Fund has also paid for a series of Community Action Days that saw council officers, health officials, councillors and the Police engage with residents about local issues.
Further improvements to be funded include installing target hardening equipment to make it harder for offenders to commit crime such as locks for homes, Secured by Design motorbike locks, new metal fencing and security lights. Perception surveys will be carried out with local residents to measure the success of these improvements and other community-building initiatives.
