Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) has a Public Space CCTV scheme which operates in the four main towns of Chepstow, Caldicot, Monmouth and Abergavenny in partnership with the Town Councils for those areas.
In 2014 new dome cameras with radio link technology, which provide better quality and offer a flexible option to add in or move cameras, replaced the original system of fixed cameras on BT Lines.
The CCTV cameras are monitored in a shared control room with Torfaen Borough Council in Blaenavon. The operators provide a 24-hour service and recorded footage is kept securely for 30 days, before being recorded over. Any request for evidential footage has to be made within the 30 days and is processed strictly using Information Commissioners Office guidelines and complies with the Data Protection Act.
The Community Safety Officer in MCC liaises with the Control Room to make sure that the scheme is kept up to date and that the CCTV cameras are used in the most effective way. The control room report monthly on operational activities and report faults when necessary.
The police and Town Councils provide the operators with briefings on current events, trends and crime patterns and this information is used to task the camera operators on daily viewing.
The scheme is overseen by a CCTV User Group, who report to the Safer Monmouthshire Group (SMG) and meet three times a year. It consists of two representatives from each town, together with police, CCTV operators and MCC; to make sure that best value for money from the scheme is achieved.
The scheme also has a number of deployable cameras that are easily moved around to “Hot Spot” Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) locations. Information is gained at monthly Crime and Disorder meetings to determine where the deployable cameras are required.
For further information you can contact the Community Safety Officer on 01633 644210 or email: CommunitySafety@monmouthshire.gov.uk.
For an official body to request footage, such as Police and Insurance Companies, they should be directed to email the enquiry to controlroom@torfaen.gov.uk.
Individual access to request footage from the cameras is a controlled process, and is commenced by emailing DataProtection@monmouthshire.gov.uk. You will be required to provide more detail on your request along with a photograph (if applicable).
Relevant Documents