To report back on the findings of the Task and Finish Group.
A report will follow.
Minutes:
The Chair of the CCTV Task and Finish Group introduced the report outlining the recommendations to Cabinet and noting synergy between this report and the Review of CCTV provision report.
An amendment to the recommendation to allocate 10K to the 2024/25 capital programme to fund three additional deployable (mobile) CCTV cameras was made.
The recommendation was to amend to £12K to fund two additional cameras following updated information on costings.
Members queried the reasons behind the recommendation that a budget of £70k is allocated to the council’s capital programme over a 3-year period commencing in 2024/25 to fund a rolling replacement of the Councils CCTV camera stock (£10K in 2024/25, £30K in 2025/6, £30K in 2026/7).
It was stated that the recommendation came from a recognition of previous low maintenance, current line issues with some existing cameras, limited lifespans and technological advancements.
Members questioned the recommendation to extend the CCTV network by two sites specifically around the criteria to be used to choose the locations. It was explained that this was just a starting point and that parish councils had suggested various locations, and that a procedure will be necessary to identify and prioritise actual locations. The officer report details the need for a clear process to be developed for consideration of any new camera requests.
Members asked for clarification on the type of mobile cameras referred to in the report. It was confirmed that they have the same specification of the fixed cameras but can be moved to different locations. They have an installation and de-installation cost and require a data contract, this costs approximately £1K a year. It was confirmed that the costs in the recommendation would cover the capital costs. The costs for moving cameras are included in the officer report.
The direct connection for access to the police was queried. Firstly, the connected terminal will be installed in the office by the end of December and training will be provided with the system up and running by the end of January. This enables the police to log on the cameras live and review recorded data. Secondly, the other link Runneymede have is with Surrey police to their live link incident reporting system. This is a matter for Hampshire Constabulary, the Community Safety Manager has raised this issue with them.
Concerns were raised over previous statements by the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Planning Policy that there were no issues with the CCTV service, it was suggested that the report showed the reverse. A request was made for the Portfolio Holder to apologise for misleading residents and members.
A motion was proposed by Councillor Forster and seconded by Councillor Butcher.
That this committee request that the Cabinet Member responsible should make an apology for the misleading information previously stated about the CCTV service.
The motion was debated. Key areas for discussion were:
· The need to determine if comments had been misleading
· The linking of the motion to the Task and Finish Group report and the O&S meeting
· The role of the committee in scrutinising the Executive
· The timeline of when information relating to the service was known to members.
A recorded vote was held on the Motion:
For: Butcher, Coburn, Farmer, Forster.
Against: Butler, Harward, Smith, Thomas, Vernon.
The motion was NOT CARRIED.
A member queried the installation of the mobile CCTV cameras. It was confirmed that they do have specific fixing and location criteria and can only be relocated by Highways Electrical Registration Scheme accredited contractors.
A member asked for additional information on the KPI outcomes, stating residents want to know if there have been identifiable crimes, that have led to prosecutions and whether the independent review would be considering this and if it could be regularly reported on.
The use of mobile CCTV cameras and trail cameras in relation to rural crime was discussed.
Councillor Bailey arrived at 19.42.
The new process for the location of new cameras, and a review of the current sites, with a view to possible relocations was discussed.
The Committee noted the report including the amended recommendation to be passed to cabinet.