Do We Need More CCTV Cameras In St. Clears?
St. Clears Town Council has set up a network of CCTV cameras in the Town Centre. This was done with no community consultation, no market research. The council claim that it was done "to help tackle a problem of vandalism and anti-social behaviour by a small minority and that the system was set up with advice and support from the Police."

I have asked for the statistics showing how much crime and anti social behaviour in St. Clears has been solved using the cameras. Nothing was forthcoming. Following some recent antisocial behaviour in the town I asked whether the incidents had been captured on CCTV. No information was forthcoming.

The Police Service is now asking the Town Council to upgrade the system (NOT THE RESIDENTS!).

Civil liberty groups have long claimed that the cameras do not actually solve many crimes but are used instead to invade the public's privacy.

CCTV might help to reduce crime in areas covered by the cameras, but there are worries that criminals don't stop committing crimes, they just commit them somewhere else that doesn't have CCTV. There is also the issue of privacy to be considered.

There are currently no controls over who sets up CCTV or how they operate it. There are voluntary guidelines on its use - but no laws. However, there are two Acts which will help the situation.

The first is the Data Protection Act of 1998, which will come into force in June. The second is the European Convention for Human Rights, which will come into effect in Britain in the year 2000.

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Should This Development Be Approved?
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The St. Clears Times™ is a community features magazine. How would you rate it. Tell us how we are doing. Vote in our Poll. ...more

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