The council’s Cabinet is expected to approve the funding at a meeting on Monday (3 November). The cash will be spent on providing priority neighbourhoods and ‘hotspot’ areas for crime and anti-social behaviour with state-of-the-art CCTV equipment to help residents be safe and feel safe.
Enhanced CCTV systems will be installed in Kingswood, Staple Hill, Chipping Sodbury, Hanham, Filton, Cadbury Heath and Patchway and additional Home Office funding will be used to implement a brand new CCTV system in Thornbury.
Heather Goddard, executive member for communities, said: “Since our pledge in February to improve CCTV monitoring over the next three years, a lot of groundwork has already been done to improve the quality of our CCTV systems.
“This has involved close partnership working between councillors, Safer South Gloucestershire, local communities, the police, council departments and the CCTV control centre in Bristol.
“It will help us achieve our aim of making sure residents feel safer and are safer.”
Rhodri Briggs, CCTV coordinator for Safer South Gloucestershire, added: “This announcement is fantastic news. In the past six months, we have proved that CCTV can help us in our ongoing work to increase public reassurance, deter crime and secure convictions.”
The planned investment has also been well received by Avon and Somerset police.
Chief Inspector Peter Warren said: "We welcome this positive move in helping our officers secure evidence for crimes including assault, alcohol-related offending and criminal damage. Since June 1, nine arrests were made as a result of images captured on South Gloucestershire CCTV cameras.
"The improved system will lead to the communities of South Gloucestershire feeling safer and being safer. It will also assist in bringing more offenders to justice and reduce levels of anti-social behaviour."
ENDS