CCTV Service

The Newquay Town Council CCTV Service, based in Newquay Police Station, works in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police to improve community safety, to prevent and/or detect crime and to help to reduce the fear of crime. The system enables the identification, apprehension and prosecution of individuals committing crime, disorder and other criminal offences including anti-social behaviour. The CCTV Control Room carries out the day-to-day monitoring of over 60 CCTV cameras across the Newquay and St. Austell Town Centres. They also liaise with ‘Shop Watch’ and ‘Pub Watch’.

Contact Details

Phone :

01637 878388

Email :

office@newquay.gov.uk

Who we are & what we do

The purpose of Town Centre CCTV is to deter and detect crime, thereby creating a safer environment for the whole community.

We understand that there may be public concern over the use of CCTV in public spaces. The Town Councils pay special attention to ensure the privacy of individuals is not compromised. We ensure this by:

Implementing strict controls over access to CCTV recordings and the CCTV Control Room.
Considering the locations and coverage of the CCTV infrastructure.
Ensuring all CCTV personnel are Security Industry Authority trained, NPPV vetted and operate according to the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Code of Practice and our own Codes of Practice, Policies and Procedures.

The CCTV system currently consists of the CCTV monitoring of two towns. They are:

Newquay
St. Austell

There are 58 fixed & 3 mobile cameras in operation across these locations. The CCTV Service work closely with Devon and Cornwall Police and both Councils. We use CCTV to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and protect vulnerable people in their local communities.

The scheme is funded entirely by the Town Councils via council tax. The aim of this partnership is to make the Towns a safer environment for all to enjoy, including residents, local businesses and visitors.

Through the use of CCTV, we aim to deter anti-social behaviour and prevent crime. We do this by proactively and reactively monitoring the CCTV cameras and liaising with the Police, Shopwatch and Pubwatch networks.

The PTZ cameras provide high quality digital images that we can use to support police prosecutions. The CCTV Control Room have direct links to the Police Service, this means they can call for immediate help for incidents unfolding as well as anyone they observe who is vulnerable or is suffering from a medical episode.

The CCTV system is used for the following purposes:

To detect or prevent crime, vandalism and public disorder in the Town Centres, particularly offences against the person.
To contribute to measures taken to reduce the incidence of crime, vandalism and public disorder in Town Centres.
To improve communication and the operational response of Police and Enforcement patrols in and around the Town Centres including the command and control of major incidents.
To improve general security in the main retail streets, both in terms of personal security and security of buildings and premises, to make the Town Centres more attractive areas to shop and work in;
To monitor traffic flow particularly during the summer months;
To monitor major events such as carnivals, festivals and fairs which may take place within the towns.

Our visions for the system are:

A reduction in the fear of crime and reassurance of the public;
to help secure a safer environment for those who live, work or trade in the areas covered and those who visit these areas;
the detection, deterrence and prevention of crime including:
providing assistance in the prevention of crime;
deterring and detecting crime;
helping to identify, apprehend and prosecute offenders;
providing the Police with evidence to take criminal action in the Courts;
the maintenance of public order;
assisting in aspects of traffic management;
assisting Enforcement Officers;
assisting in improving the Town Centre environment;

The CCTV system and monitoring team operate on guidance from and fully comply with:

The Human Rights Act 1998
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
The Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation 2018
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Private Security Industry Act 2001

Number of cameras:

Newquay = 40 (Plus 1 Mobile Camera)
St. Austell = 20 (Plus 1 Mobile Camera)