More CCTV cameras installed in Grimsby town centre

Riverhead Square in Grimsby. There is a large sand-coloured paved area in the foreground with trees, a but stop and a glass-fronted shopping centre in the backgroundImage source, North East Lincolnshire Council
Image caption,

There are now 148 council CCTV cameras across North East Lincolnshire

  • Published

New security cameras in a town square in Grimsby will improve safety for residents and visitors, a council has said.

CCTV was first introduced in Riverhead Square in 2022 as part of a redevelopment.

Officials said that between 2023 and 2024, overall crime in the town centre had reduced by 11%, and the 18 new cameras would support efforts to bring it down further.

Ron Shepherd, North East Lincolnshire Council's portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, said the cameras would "build upon the reduction in anti-social behaviour and crime across the area".

The additional CCTV cameras take the council's total to 148 across the district.

The council highlighted a number of occasions when CCTV footage from its cameras had been used in police investigations.

Offences caught on camera included arson, criminal damage and possession of a weapon.

In one case, a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, was given for harassment.

On another occasion, someone was disqualified for 16 months for driving offences.

Shepherd said: "Instances like these show why the CCTV system is a vital element in our campaign to make the borough a safer area.

"Our council operates a zero-tolerance policy and these cameras are just one strand of that aim."

Insp Claire Jacobs added: "The CCTV operators and support team play a crucial role in our continued efforts towards making the town a place where people feel safe and supported."

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