Budget cuts in Norfolk mean 46 camera switch-off

Five towns in North Norfolk face having their town CCTV Systems turned off as part of a plan to cut £1m from the local authority budget.

These five towns will be effected:

• Cromer
• Fakenham
• North Walsham
• Sheringham
• Wells

Town councils will have the option to run local systems themselves, however due to budgets already being very tight, this will not likely go ahead.

“We have given six weeks for councils or groups to decide if they want to take on the cameras and a further six weeks to make a firm proposal.” said a Council spokesman.

Obviously the loss of the cameras will effect the Police the most – as many of these small towns use CCTV to monitor crime in the streets which is relayed immediately back to the Police central control.

“Public and commercial CCTV can be a useful additional tool in the prevention and detection of crime, and can provide reassurance to the public” said North Norfolk police commander Sup Stuart Gunn.

The main issue therefore will be that Police will now be reliant on private commercial systems – some of these as we already know are not up the standard that the Police need to bring about a prosecution.