Police in the Cotswolds are welcoming the addition of new CCTV cameras in Weston-sub-Edge to help prevent crime and keep residents safe.
Following a number of residential burglaries, car thefts and suspicious behaviour in the village, Weston-sub-Edge Parish Council applied for a grant for the cameras from the Safer Streets Fund.
The funds were awarded by Gloucestershire’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and with the support of Cotswolds Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Simon Ellson and the Safer Streets Team from Cotswold District Council, the cameras were fully operational by September 2023.
The new high-definition CCTV system has 24-hour coverage which will help support the police when investigating criminal activity and also uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) allowing officers to spot the movement of suspicious vehicles on the county’s rural roads.
Inspector Ellson, pictured below, attended the Parish Council’s official launch of the CCTV system at Weston-Sub-Edge Village Hall last week (Thursday 18 January).
He said: “I’m really pleased that this project has come to fruition and it is a great example of what can be achieved through strong, community partnerships.
“The CCTV is great quality and I know it will provide a lot of reassurance to the local community and will be a great source of evidence for the police if we need it.
“The Safer Streets Funding is being used in the North Cotswolds and further afield across the county, showing our commitment to making the county a safer place for everyone.”
Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson also attended the CCTV launch.
He said: “I am pleased to see our successful funding go towards such a worthy cause. These camera’s will provide reassurance to local residents as well as be a fantastic resource for our Constabulary.
“The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire does a great job in securing extra funding from government to commission valuable projects like this one. The Safer Streets Funding has commissioned a large number of crime preventing initiatives across Gloucestershire for the last three years.”
Since The Home Office launched the Safer Streets Fund in 2020, the OPCC for Gloucestershire has secured over £3.5m to tackle violence against women and girls and support projects aimed at cutting neighbourhood crime such as theft, burglary and antisocial behaviour.