New, improved and expanded CCTV coverage now fully operational in Sleaford

The project has seen the seven existing CCTV units upgraded using £58,000 of Safer Streets funding, achieved in a joint bid together by the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones and North Kesteven

District Council.

Each unit now has four CCTV cameras, and the footage provided is also of much higher quality after upgrading the technology that the cameras use.

A wider area in the town centre is now covered by CCTV thanks to four additional units installed using £17,500 from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund money. These extra CCTV camera units have been installed in key locations based on data assessments by the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner, North Kesteven District Council and with the support of partners including Sleaford Town Council which contributes towards ongoing CCTV monitoring.

The four new CCTV units are installed at Eastgate Green, Station Road, near the pedestrian crossing on Southgate, and the Market Place.

It creates an upgraded network of 11 CCTV units in total, with each one made up of four cameras and all providing much better quality footage than before. It makes a total of 44 CCTV cameras available across the town centre for operators to use in the event of an incident or emergency and to help maintain community safety.

The cameras are monitored 24/7 on behalf of North Kesteven District Council by operatives based at Boston Borough Council offices

NKDC Executive Board Member for Community Safety, Councillor Sally Tarry said: “Sleaford is a very safe and welcoming place to be, and that’s also demonstrated by its low crime rates historically.

“These CCTV enhancements will certainly help in the event of any crime or antisocial behaviour that does occur, thanks to the increased coverage and improved quality of footage across all of the cameras. It’s also about ensuring our communities can keep thriving day-to-day, assured that they are protected in this way in addition to other ongoing efforts and partnership work across the district.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire Sara Munton said: “We are delighted to see the Safer Street funding being used to make a real difference in communities across Lincolnshire.

“These new cameras will be a significant step forward in keeping the people of Sleaford safe and maintain the town as a low crime environment to live and do business.

“Working with partners to secure additional national funding is an important part of the work done by the PCC and we will continue to work hard to be successful in those endeavours.”

The project has been delivered by NKDC’s Community Safety Team with the technical support of AESG consultants and supplier Videcom Security.

The council’s Community Safety Team works across North Kesteven to help ensure issues such as antisocial behaviour and noxious odours don’t impact on the lives of people everyday in our communities, while also supporting partners including police on tackling crime and other issues affecting people locally.

Reports of antisocial behaviour, for example, are logged on a shared system with police and local partners and appropriate actions are sought. Some of these actions are behind the scenes, aimed at tackling the cause of such issues, while others are more visible such as applying to court for Closure Orders where problems continue to centre around a specific property.

As part of the Community Safety Partnership the team also works on the root causes of crime alongside the council’s other teams and countywide partners, as well as building awareness of modern slavery.