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Villagers striving to make their community safer are celebrating the arrival of new CCTV thanks to a funding grant from Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen.
The County Durham and Darlington PCC provided funding worth £7k to Coxhoe Parish Council to help fulfil its ambitions to boost security in the village and proactively address crime and anti-social behaviour.
The new static cameras have been installed on lampposts owned by Durham County Council in Coxhoe High Street and will be monitored by the Parish Council, with some of the PCC’s funding partly covering the maintenance costs in the first year of the project.
The parish council has worked closely with Durham Constabulary and the county council over the past three years to develop a feasibility case for the new cameras, studying local crime statistics to assess need and identify suitable locations.
They also consulted residents and found that 89.4% of those who responded strongly supported the additional security measure.
Under the theme of Safer Neighbourhoods in her new Police, Crime and Justice Plan, the Commissioner vowed to help communities play a more active role in the policing of their local areas.
In further commitments to protect the countryside, the PCC has pledged to invest in the tools and resources necessary to respond to the problems that matter most to rural communities.
Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen said: “I know how much residents in Coxhoe wanted CCTV in key public spaces and I am delighted to have supported Coxhoe Parish Council in bringing this project to fruition.
“We know that the presence of CCTV not only deters crime and anti-social behaviour from happening in the first place but also creates evidence-gathering opportunities to help the police and partners bring offenders to justice and provides immeasurable reassurance to residents and businesses alike.
“I am grateful to parish councillors for their determination and passion for increasing safety in Coxhoe, and our partners at the county council for supporting the project from the outset. Community safety is the responsibility of us all and this scheme is a shining example of the benefits of working together.”
Cllr Stuart Dunn, Chair of Coxhoe Parish Council said: “Community safety is a top priority for the Parish Council and enhancing security within the village was the primary objective of this project.
“We hope the new CCTV system contributes to a greater sense of safety and reassurance for all residents. We are certainly grateful for the support that made the successful completion of this initiative possible.”
The cameras have been installed in central areas with heavy footfall, incorporating key access points where people walk to and from popular locations in the village.
The parish council hopes to see reduced incidents of crimes such as graffiti, low level disorder and criminal damage to property and street furniture due to the presence of the new devices, and a reduction in more serious crime in the long-term.
After the first year of the scheme, Coxhoe Parish Council will fully cover the yearly running costs.
Last year, the PCC unveiled the Rurali project – one of the biggest investments to date in rural crime prevention in County Durham and Darlington.
The scheme saw more than £200k of Safer Streets funding directed into two new Ruralwatch Coordinators and a dedicated intelligence officer to capture and develop intelligence gleaned from Ruralwatch WhatsApp groups to target offenders.
The initiative was also aimed at providing the infrastructure needed to be able to quickly action any risks or threats to prevent further harm and losses in our countryside, bring more criminals to justice, and to increase feelings of safety in the countryside.
In other effortsto crackdown on rural crime, the PCC agreed to invest £20k during her last term into 10 new re-deployable CCTV cameras and related equipment in support of Durham County Council’s work to target fly-tipping hotspots across the force area and bring more offenders to justice.
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Picture Shows (L-R): Nichola Watson, Sophie Taylor, PCC Joy Allenand Stuart Dunn
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