Police / Money needed for new CCTV cameras could be better spent on preventative work, police chief suggests
THE MONEY which would be needed for replacing Lerwick’s CCTV system or installing new cameras in certain locations would be better spent elsewhere, Shetland’s new area commander has suggested.
Chief inspector Chris Sewell told a meeting of Shetland’s community safety and resilience board last week that prevention activities which engage young people could be a better focus of attention.
The CCTV camera network in the centre of Lerwick was previously described as “no longer fit for purpose” and in 2022 it was confirmed that the “obsolete” system had not been working for some time.
Installed in 2010 at a cost of £240,000 to Shetland Islands Council (SIC), the 14-camera network had suffered technical issues over the years as well as offering poor image quality.
A spokesperson for the SIC said options to update the system will need to “identify funding and resources, and consider the evidence base for its effectiveness over the long-term”.
They added: “We look forward to continued discussions around crime reduction with Police Scotland and other community safety partners.”
At Wednesday’s meeting board chair councillor Allison Duncan questioned whether after some recent incidents of disorder at Lerwick’s Harrison Square – one of which saw five youths charged following an assault – if CCTV cameras should be deployed there.
Sewell raised the question as to what the purpose of the CCTV system is – whether it is to prevent or detect crime, or a bit of both.
“If it’s to detect crime, then I’d say we’re probably in a good space in relation to crime detection in Shetland,” he said.
“80 per cent of crime is detected and that’s unheard of on the mainland.”
If the purpose is to deter crime, then it is “perhaps worthy of consideration, however I think that the costs involved are likely to be significant.”
“I’d probably rather that the money be spent elsewhere,” Sewell added.
The area commander, who took up his post in Shetland in September, said he had recently visited the council’s ‘hub’ facility for young people on Lerwick’s Commercial Road, as well engaging with the junior Up Helly Aa team.
“I’d rather that funds were diverted into these prevention activities rather than putting in CCTV […] after a crime has occurred,” Sewell said.
Shetland Islands Council’s youth and employability team leader Martin Summer said there has been some “fantastic partnership work” with agencies like the police and social work.
“Yes, there has been isolated incidents at Harrison Square but we’re working in a multi agency way to be able to deal with those situations that arise,” he added.
Summers said engaging with young folk and building relationships was key.
He highlighted how youth workers went out on foot at night in the centre of Lerwick prior to the October holidays which was “really positive in building up that relationship with young people” as well as providing reassurance to the community and local businesses.
The meeting heard that following that there was a trial to open the Hub on Friday and Saturday evenings, with between 30 and 40 youngsters dropping in on those nights on average.
“We’ve stopped that pilot at the moment because there is a challenge around budget resourcing, but more so than budget resourcing the challenge is workforce,” Summers added.
He highlighted that the council offers spaces outwith Lerwick across Shetland for young people such as youth clubs.
But Summers said there are “significant challenges within the youth work network keeping our community youth clubs open” due to resourcing.
As a result he issued a plea for people to potentially think about joining the youth work force part-time.
“When we can open these spaces and provide areas for young people to hang out and chill out and build those relationships we see positive engagement,” Summers said.
He reiterated however that it has to be staff with the right training and experience.
Councillor Catherine Hughson, who is the vice-chair of the SIC’s education and families committee, added that is not as easy as “taking somebody off the street to come in and work”.
She said the Hub trial was successful but it “wasn’t budgeted for, so it’s an additional cost”.
“If we want to keep this going it has to be a multi agency approach to funding it, as well as staffing it,” Hughson said.
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