Londonderry: Funding shortfall concern over safety schemes

The CCTV system in Londonderry has about 85 cameras at various locations around the city

There are concerns CCTV systems and community safety warden schemes in Londonderry could be scaled back because of a funding shortfall.

Both are managed by the region's Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) which receives funding from a range of contributors.

Derry City and Strabane District Council said the police are yet to commit £50,000 for each scheme.

The police have said they are currently facing budget and resource challenges.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they recognised the value of community safety wardens and CCTV but "it is impossible to ignore the challenges facing the wider police service".

The PCSP is funded through a variety of sources, including Derry City and Strabane District Council itself, the Department of Justice (DoJ), Ulster University and the Department for Communities (DfC).

The chairman of the PCSP, Darren Guy, told BBC Radio Foyle's The North West Today that it was very unlikely that the police will be in a position to provide the funding.

'Serious situation'

The Ulster Unionist councillor told the programme that the uncertainty over funding the programmes was very concerning.

"They (the police) would love to give us the money, but they are obviously struggling with their own budget constraints," he said.

Mr Guy said they will now try to find solutions to the outstanding funding issue and potentially look at alternative sources of funding over the next three months.

The CCTV system in Derry has about 85 cameras at various location around the city.

He said the council currently employ about 12 community safety wardens in the district and said they provide an outstanding service to their local community.

"We would hate to lose any of our services [in rural areas] or within the city," he said.

The UUP councillor said their employment was not at risk in the context of the current budget pressures but he does worry about the long-term future of the scheme.

Mr Guy said the council was not in a position to match the outstanding funding themselves due to their own financial pressures.

"We are treating this as a really serious situation," he said.

Councillors were told the CCTV scheme has a shortfall for the year ahead of £22,000

In a report to councillors earlier in June, a council official outlined that the CCTV scheme had a shortfall for the year ahead of £22,000 and the warden scheme is underfunded by more than £70,000.

The official said that the PSNI had informed the council that it was not in a position to commit the £50,000 for both the CCTV and safety warden schemes.

'Difficult decisions'

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI), which represents officers, said the PSNI were facing "difficult decisions" because of a "totally inadequate" budget.

"Nobody wants to see important projects such as those in Derry-Londonderry threatened or undermined," a spokesperson said.

A spokeswoman for Derry and Strabane District council said it is "continuing to engage on an ongoing basis with funders to resolve this situation".

"While funding applications have been made, not all budget allocations have been confirmed," she said.