Better CCTV to improve street safety in Boston and Skegness

A £400,000 project to install new ‘Intelligent’ CCTV cameras will see ‘safe zones’ created where the young feared sexual assaults or harassment.
The bid  for Safer Streets Funding by PCC Marc Jones and South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership.The bid  for Safer Streets Funding by PCC Marc Jones and South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership.
The bid for Safer Streets Funding by PCC Marc Jones and South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership.

Seventy-eight cameras will be fixed in key spots around Boston, Skegness and Spalding – removing blank spots and create blanket coverage of areas in the town centres

Creation of “safe zone areas” allowing people to move safely from night clubs and pubs to transport links and taxi ranks.

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The project will also include the recruitment, training and licensing of a new network of volunteer CCTV operators from within the local community – allowing police officers to get back out on the streets.

Cost of the project will be paid for by the Government after a bid for Safer Streets Funding by PCC Marc Jones and South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership.

Artificial Intelligence servers will be installed alongside the cameras and allow police officers to search footage quickly using parameters such as clothing description or vehicle type.

This will save valuable time getting to important evidence and increase the risk of detection, capture and conviction.

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The bid comes after the PCC’s Lincolnshire Youth Commission engaged with over 1000 young people and identified sexual assaults or street harassment as the biggest threats to their safety.

Street harassment and stalking has also been directly raised as an issue at public engagement events undertaken by the OPCC Safer Together Team in Spalding, Boston and Skegness.

The sites of the cameras were identified after extensive analysis of crime statistics by Lincolnshire Police.

The project, alongside other successful Safer Street bids, represent just a part Mr Jones commitment to tackle the issue of violence against women and girls.

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“It is crucial that everyone, but especially women and girls, can feel and be safe on the streets both during the day and at night,” said Mr Jones.

“This project represents just the latest in a string of successful projects that are now being actioned which puts more than £1million worth of CCTV across our county – deterring criminals and ensuring greater levels of security for our residents.

“This myriad of technology also means our police officers can spend less time in an office and more time on the streets where they are most needed.”