CCTV across borough could be replaced in £500k move

The council’s CCTV service currently consists of around 90 fixed cameras that are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week and often cover historic crime or anti-social behaviour hotspots.

However, according to papers for a cabinet meeting set to take place tonight, the authority has recognised that it's camera system is 'outdated' and 'in a poor state of repair'.

There are also 26 mobile cameras deployed around the borough, which are monitored from a base at Streets Corner in Walsall Wood, that are in the same state as the static ones.

Bosses are set to spend £255,133 in 2017/18 and £288,707 in 2018/19 on paying Transport for the West Midlands, formerly known as Centro, to purchase, staff and maintain mobile camera units and also improve the quality of those cameras already installed by the council.

The decision will save the authority £32,480 in 2017/18 and £70,591 each year after that for a period of seven years, when compared with how much it would cost to continue running the service in-house.

Councillor Julie Fitzpatrick, Portfolio Holder for Community, Leisure and Culture said: “Walsall Council regularly reviews systems and technologies to ensure that they’re fit for purpose.

"This enables us to effectively plan for future service provision.

“The CCTV technology currently in place is past its best.

"We need better systems in order to prevent and detect crime, and in doing so, provide reassurance to people who live and work in Walsall.

“Partnering with Transport for West Midlands offers us an opportunity to both save money and improve the service we deliver.”

Councillor Mike Bird, who launched the investigation into the borough's CCTV in 2015, said that the changes will help lead to more prosecutions for crimes across the borough.

He said: "This is an important issue to me and that is why I asked for this review to be carried out.

"There were crimes across the borough that were being reported to police and captured on film but the quality was just not good enough.

"Police have said to us on numerous occasions in the past, not every time but more often than not, that the quality of CCTV coming from our cameras was not good enough to hold up in court.

"I think this change is good news for people in Walsall and should make them feel safer going forward that any crimes they are a victim of is going to be properly followed through."

Of Transport for the West Midlands' role in ensuring CCTV across the borough is improved, the report reads: "It is proposed that both fixed and mobile camera stock would be transferred to TfWM.

"Transfer of provision would not result in any reduction of current coverage."

Transport for West Midlands spokesman Mark Langford said: “We have been working with Walsall Council to develop a system offering an enhanced level of CCTV coverage for the borough. Similar services are already successfully in place with Solihull, Burton-upon-Trent and Uttoxeter.

“The proposals will now be considered by members and we will await their decision.”