Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

NEW figures show that Liverpool City Council’s CCTV network was involved in dealing with:- 3,186 incidents of crime and anti social behaviour, in 2024.

A total of 480 cameras covering large areas of the City are monitored 24 hours a day from a Central Control Room, transmitting the images along 175km of fibre optic cables.

Working with colleagues from Merseyside Police and Merseytravel, City Watch staff are able to react to incidents as they happen.

Over the last 12 months, they have been involved in dealing with the following number of incidents:-

Assaults - 557.
Thefts - 472.
Anti-social behaviour - 475.
Knife crime - 203.
Domestic abuse - 186.
Missing persons - 177.
Criminal damage - 167.
Drugs - 159.
Begging/street drinking - 141.
Flytipping, littering, graffiti - 125.

Examples of success include:-

A man acting suspiciously was followed on CCTV from:- Gwladys Street to County Road, and arrested for burglary and assault on a pregnant woman.
A street beggar who had stolen a mobile phone was tracked on CCTV and arrested.
A man who had stolen a purse was picked up on CCTV and intercepted by Police Officers, with the item returned to the victim before she had noticed it was missing. It emerged that the offender was wanted for 13 offences including:- burglary and breaching bail conditions.

Following a report of a man with a knife on Prescot Road, the suspect was tracked on CCTV until Police arrived, arrested him and recovered a bladed weapon.
Footage captured by the CCTV network is often used by Council teams to supply evidence in fly-tipping and taxi licensing offences.
The CCTV network has also contributed to Liverpool’s success in retaining Purple Flag status over the last 14 years, in recognition of the work to make sure the City has a dynamic, secure, and vibrant evening and night.time economy.

Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Cllr Laura Robertson Collins, said:- “Our CCTV network plays a vital role in keeping residents and visitors to our City safe. It plays a key role in our hugely successful night time economy, and is1 of the reasons why we have had Purple Flag status for more than 14 years. It not only helps prevent crimes before they happen, but provides vital evidence to secure convictions when cases come to Court. The new CCTV maintenance and development contract is vital to ensuring the network continues to be maintained at a high standard, and continues to be an important part of our community safety work.”

At a meeting on:- Tuesday, 21 January 2025, the Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet approved a new 5 year maintenance and development contract for the CCTV network.