27 August 2009, 09/184
Extra CCTV to protect students and pedestrians in
Ormskirk
Students and the local community will feel even safer now that
CCTV has been installed at a busy route to and from Edge Hill
University and Ormskirk town centre.
West Lancashire Borough Council recently carried out the work on
behalf of the West Lancashire Community Safety Partnership to put
up the additional camera on the corner of St Helens Road following
a grant from the Home Office.
The location was chosen because there had been incidents of anti
social behaviour, so to protect students and the local community it
was decided to install the extra surveillance equipment in this
area.
It overlooks a busy traffic junction and also covers a popular
pedestrian route for people walking in and out of the town centre
from the university. So the CCTV will give added safety to people
in the area, especially residents and students who walk along St
Helens Road.
The town is expecting a number of new students in September
ready for the new term so these extra safety measures will protect
them and will be a welcome addition to the already excellent CCTV
system operating in Ormskirk.
Cllr Paul Greenall, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, said:
"Ensuring that people feel safe is extremely important to us and
CCTV is one of the major tools we use in our fight against crime
and for reassuring residents that criminals are being watched 24
hours a day and will be caught if they offend.
"Edge Hill is a well populated university and we get lots of
students walking along this busy traffic route, as well as the
local community. Therefore, it’s important that we use all the
security measures we can to keep them safe, which is why I’m
delighted we have installed the new camera. The idea behind it is
to provide community reassurance and to deter any potential
offenders from causing mischief along this popular walking route to
and from the town centre."
CCTV is a crucial tool in fighting crime and the Council invests
a significant amount on 24-hour monitoring. At present, there are
53 cameras across the borough covering busy shopping areas, parks,
play areas, train stations, underpasses and car parks.
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