CCTV - News Update December 2009....

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CALLS FOR URGENT REVIEW INTO CCTV

Monmouth District Chamber of Trade and Commerce is calling for the Town Council to urgently review the issue of CCTV in the town.

Despite a reassurance in August that the Town Council Working Group will reconvene to consider the matter again, the amount of time that this will take means that for some it will be too late. Brian Ramsey, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce said: "It is clear that the recent spate of burglaries in the town is having a detrimental effect on the businesses of the independent traders that make such a contribution to the unique nature of our town, which is a feature much appreciated by residents and visitors alike.

The Town Council has a responsibility to all and it is clear from the petition that was submitted in April of this year that residents in the town want CCTV to be reinstated as soon as possible. The Town Council has doggedly stuck to their viewpoint that CCTV only benefits the traders and the Police, which is clearly not the case in any of the other towns who have remained in the County Council camera partnership. The benefits to all are obvious and proven in each of the other 3 towns, with a marked reduction in anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. It is time that the Town Council took note of the wishes of the people of this town and fulfilled their demands.

We believe, in this coming financial year, that Monmouth Town Council will yet again have the lowest budget of any of the towns in the CCTV Camera partnership by a substantial margin. For less than £1.50 per resident per year, Monmouth could once again be part of a county wide scheme for crime prevention and reduction."