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Talking CCTV coming to Peterborough: ‘Don’t spit gum and take your litter home’
CCTV camera in Bridge street, near WH Smith
UNRULY revellers and litter louts could be given a verbal public scolding by talking CCTV cameras to be installed across Peterborough city centre.
Bosses at Peterborough City Council wants to give their “eyes in the sky” the power of speech as part of a raft of measures to clear the city of litter, dumped chewing gum, cigarette butts and night-time trouble makers.
It is hoped the talking CCTV will be a shock tactic to get troublemakers and litter louts to change their habits.
It would mean anyone seen by a CCTV operator dropping litter or causing trouble would immediately hear a voice from a loud speaker telling them to clean up their act or to calm down or face prosecution.
The council plans to spend about £15,000 to £30,000 before April on 30 speakers to allow CCTV camera operators to send warnings to troublemakers.
The aim is to clean up the city centre, which has just undergone a £12 million revamp, and make it more attractive for residents and visitors.
Council leader Councillor Marco Cereste, said: “It’s a great idea. If someone is doing something they shouldn’t be doing and they hear a voice telling them to stop kicking the hell out of a bloke, then it’s going to have the desirable effect.”
“It may save that person’s life.”
He added: “I’d like to see all the work underway by the end of the year.
“It’s the right thing to do, we want to see a lovely, clean vibrant city and then people will say it’s a great place, that it smells nice, looks nice, has good shopping, and then they will want to come back.”
The “talking” CCTV cameras, an idea first mooted in 2006, would also be used to shame people caught littering with a public ticking off and is one of a host of initiatives the authority hopes to bring forward this year to improve the environment of the city centre.
Paul Phillipson, the council’s executive director of operations, said the council intended to give Cathedral Square a full spring clean ahead of the summer and is looking at what can be done to make it easier to clear chewing gum from the paving stones, aiming to provide more bins in the city centre.
The council is also looking at beefing up the level of enforcement over littering, including involving a private company to offer a service at no cost to the local authority.
He described the centre as the “showcase for the city” and the efforts would help support business.
Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson welcomed the proposed city centre clean-up and encouraged the authority to work with pubs and clubs to take the action further.
He said: “I think the council needs to involve the licensed premises. There’s too many incidents of vomit on the streets, litter and bottles.”
There was criticism, however, from privacy and civil liberties group Big Brother Watch about further use of CCTV.
Director Nick Pickles said: “If a fight breaks out, a loudspeaker in the distance isn’t going to break it up.
“Yet again we’re seeing surveillance being used as a poor substitute for police on the streets.”
A police spokesman said: “We welcome anything that helps the fight against crime.”
YOUR SHOUT... what you think of the talking cameras plan
Barry Chambers (64) from Peterborough said: “I’m not sure if will necessarily stop crime happening but it may make people more wary.”
Mick Houghton (56) from Peterborough said: “At the end of the day if you’ve done nothing wrong you won’t get caught.”
Derek Killigrew (55) from Peterborough said: “They have these speakers in London and they work.
“Many people don’t take any notice of cameras but if one starts speaking then you will.”
Craig Brewster (39) from Peterborough said: “I’m not sure about this - what about people’s human rights?”
What do you think?
Contact our news team by email news@peterboroughtoday.co.uk, telephone 01733 588719, on Twitter - @peterboroughet or use our Have Your Say form
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Comments
There are 32 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
Gorgeous George
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 04:38 PM@31 Are you that bloke in the Tourist Information office?
rogerandrew
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 06:38 PMthe scum that visits peterborough need to be arrested for bad behavior, not just shouted at..my new year resolution,,do not go within 2 miles of Pottyborough..
Mavis Enderby
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 03:59 PMMerryme @ 29 - I do rather agree but when gypsies leave great piles of poo on public spaces without anyone in authority doing anything to stop them, shouting at people who spit or drop fag-ends seems to be a double standard - Here's an idea - next time an illegal traveller site sets up, why not set up a cctv camera, microphone and speaker next to it. Much more useful.
merryme
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 02:49 PMAnd once the gum and litter problem is under control will somebody please stop people spitting in the street? It's disgusting and unhygienic. I understand the arguments sports people put across that they need to spit etc (don't particularly like it though) my main issue is with the people who hawk and spit huge globs of neon coloured phlegm onto the ground in the middle of path! Does nobody carry either a tissue or handkerchief any more?
Mavis Enderby
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 11:46 AMThe revised budget has just been announced and will go before the cabinet shortly - is this story just another distraction like the lollipop ladies one? It is just as daft and unfeasible.
caseydee48
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 06:44 AMHow about wasting more public money on a Thought Police Department?
Peterborough Monitor
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 09:57 PMwell at least Peterborough got to 1984
Sofedup
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 08:52 PMApart from clearly this is last minute end of financial year spend (which frustrates me anyway!), doesn't anyone else find this a little uncomfortable? I understand the obvious benefits, but unfortunately I am a sceptical person (quite rightly in my opinion and age) and can't help but find something sinister about not only being watched but communicated with and how this could be inappropriately used? This really does have shades of Big Brother (and if you haven't read it then I think you should!)
Gorgeous George
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 05:38 PMJust us chickens then.
gogetit
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 05:28 PMyou always see loads of police when they have caught a shop lifter , normally 5 or 6 attend and stand around chatting
Credo33
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:53 PMCan they not fit some form of taser-device or lazer beam to the cameras ? Wouldn't it be great if you can spot anti-social pond-life and zap them ? You'd have loads on unemployed youth ideal for the CCTV work as their gaming skills would be perfect CV material for taking down the street-heathen !
henry
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:34 PMThe PCC will do anything other than their job their attitude to litter problem is very poor - get out and reprimand these rats and thats all over the city not just city centre. The PCC has not got the will to do the job. The city is in a filthy state, but until it effects the people that run the PCC nothing will be done.
Gorgeous George
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:23 PMSo here we have a representative cross section of the thinking class in Peterborough. Presmably most of you are on tablets from the doctor. Here's a clue: you are being perpetually shafted by criminals in authority.
Dalek Sec
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:21 PMMost people walk through town listening to their MP3 players or i-pods very loudly, so they won't hear it anyway.
brandy
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 03:49 PMA few years back there was a firm that PCC contracted to fight the battle against litter, where litter enforcement officers patrolled the streets, fines were issued to those littering, which then generated funds back into the system. PCC finished the contract supposedly because not enough funds were being generated to cover all costs, but there was a notable difference on the streets and the streets looked cleaner. By spending upto £30,000 for speakers might seem to be a good idea, this is not going to generate any money back into the system. There will be ongoing costs such as maintenance etc. Craig Brewster - human rights? what twaddle! anything to keep our streets and people safe is worth having and anyone flapping on about human rights are clearly those who have something to hide!
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