Bournemouth's town centre and seafront CCTV system is facing a crisis of funding.

The Conservatives believe that a modern, up to date and efficient CCTV system is an invaluable tool in the fight against crime and antisocial behaviour in Bournemouth. This means installing as many cameras as possible and working in partnership with Dorset Police in monitoring the output. Currently the cover provided for monitoring the screens that are working is at an all time low and at times virtually ineffective.

Some years ago, the Conservatives were the first Council in the country to install a corporately managed CCTV system - on Bournemouth seafront. Huge sums were saved for the council tax payer by a drastic reduction in vandalism and criminal activity. Criminals were arrested and taken off the streets and the system paid for itself many times over.

Today's Lib Dem Council in Bournemouth have not made law and order their top priority and Bournemouth's once proud CCTV system is fast disappearing. The cameras along virtually the entire seafront have been switched off together with those in the gardens and soon many of the others will follow with no major plans to replace them.

The Conservatives would reverse this trend as they started to do before the last local elections. Rather than switch cameras off, they would modernise and extend the system to cover more of the town centre and outlying shopping areas such as Winton, Kinson and Southbourne. The safety of the public would again be a Council priority and the investment would be funded from the planned sale of Council owned assets already earmarked for development and revenue savings at no additional cost to the Council tax payer.

Central Ward Councillor David Smith said, 'There is a crisis of funding for CCTV in Bournemouth and the Lib Dem Council do not see it as one of their priorities. The residents I speak to think that is wrong and that public safety should come first. I agree with them.'

The Conservatives will keep up the pressure on the Council to make the commitment to fund the replacement programme properly even if that means that the Lib Dems number one priority has to take second place. Public safety beats reopening or rebuilding the Winter Gardens hands down every time.

For further details please contact:-

Cllr John Beesley
Bournemouth Conservatives
on Bournemouth Council

Tel. 01202 762403
Mobile 07860 391219
email john.beesley@bournemouth.gov.uk