Agenda item

The Executive Member for Environment and the Director of Environment and Communities submitted a report for the Executive’s consideration. The purpose of the report was to request additional funding of £400,000 to the wider development of CCTV in alleys and hot spot areas throughout Middlesbrough to reduce crime, antisocial behaviour and environmental crime. The report also proposed a change in approach to collection of fly tips and enforcement of offences across Middlesbrough via the introduction of an ‘Environmental Enforcement Flying Squad’, meaning fly tips would be investigated and removed in one pass by a dedicated team.

 

Crime and antisocial behaviour in Middlesbrough continued to be the highest in the whole of the Cleveland Police Force area. When looking at the actual number of incidents for the financial year 2019/20 and the year to date information for 2020/21, Middlesbrough was 11% higher than Stockton which was 2nd highest. The submitted report contained statistical information and data pertaining to recorded incidents in Middlesbrough.

 

The £400,000 planned to enable the installation of 100 cameras in key areas, which had been identified using an intelligence led approach based on recorded data held by Cleveland Police and the Local Authority.

 

In conjunction with the use of CCTV cameras the Council may explore giving residents individual bins and removing communal bins, for areas covered by back alleys. That would allow residents to take more control of their waste. A pilot scheme was at present underway in parts of North Ormesby. Following an examination of the results of the scheme, a wider approach may be implemented.

 

The proposed ‘Environmental Enforcement Flying Squad’ planned to enable the Council to improve the aesthetics of Middlesbrough and in turn improve quality of life for residents who were blighted by such activity. That would mean fly tips would be investigated and removed in one pass by a dedicated team consisting of 8 personnel, 4x Neighbourhood Safety Wardens (Enforcement) trained on current legislation and able to bring prosecution, 4x Area Care Operatives to work alongside officers to assist clearing the fly-tip/rubbish and 4x bespoke caged vehicles.

 

The proposal planned to:

·        improve public confidence;

·        deter people from committing crime and antisocial behaviour via the presence of more CCTV; and

·        ensure that fly tips were collected in a timely manner - in turn reducing the amount of time debris was left in the alleys, streets, walkways etc.

 

A discussion ensued and Members commented that before considering granting approval for funding of £400,000, there was a need to conduct a pilot scheme to establish the effectiveness of the proposal in reducing crime, antisocial behaviour and environmental crime. It was also identified that, following delivery of the pilot scheme, there was a requirement to evaluate the impact of the approach by analysing data and reporting outcomes to the Executive. Upon receiving that information, the Executive would then be in a position to make an informed decision regarding whether additional funding should be invested.

 

Members also commented that there was a need to:

·        take a town-wide approach;

·        introduce mobile cameras to enable flexibility/responsiveness when monitoring hot spot areas throughout Middlesbrough;

·        ensure adequate staffing and resources; and

·        identify the legal and cost implications of using facial and license plate recognition.

 

Members were in agreement that the recommendations detailed in the report should be amended to reflect the comments made.

 

OPTIONS

Continuing to do what the Council had always done

 

Data suggested that the current approach was not achieving the best possible results.

 

ORDERED

 

1.     That funding of £50,000 be allocated to deliver a pilot scheme to introduce the wider development of CCTV in alleys and hot spot areas throughout Middlesbrough to reduce crime, antisocial behaviour and environmental crime.

2.     That following delivery of the pilot scheme, a report be presented to the Executive, evaluating the impact of the approach by analysing data and reporting outcomes.

3.     That the change in approach to collection of fly tips and enforcement of offences across Middlesbrough be noted, meaning fly tips would be investigated and removed in one pass by a dedicated team.

4.     That the pilot of replacing communal bins with individual bins in parts of North Ormesby and its potential for further use, if it was deemed successful, in other areas of the town be noted.

 

REASONS

To enable the team to meet strategic and Mayoral priorities to tackle crime and Anti-Social Behaviour head on.

 

CCTV would enable the team to gather intelligence on the worst affected areas, increasing the opportunity of a successful prosecution of perpetrators.

 

The proposed approach would join-up environmental and enforcement teams and align to the locality working model.