Commissioner Henry visiting a Refuge Point Camera in Kirkby
Residents in Kirkby In Ashfield have been are amungst the first to benefit from a national first refuge point camera system.
At the push of a button residents in need can be immediately connected to a trained operator in a CCTV control room which can get them the help they need.
The Refuge Point camera system which began in Sutton In Ashfield is an innovate system designed to tackle antisocial behaviour and improve feelings of safety in key areas around Kirkby In Ashfield.
This innovative scheme, which is now being replicated across Nottinghamshire and adopted across the country, was the focus of a recent visit by Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry on a recent visit to Kirkby.
The refuge point camera scheme comes after the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire secured £3 million of Home Office funding for Safer Streets projects that help reduce neighbourhood crime and antisocial behaviour, as well as violence against women and girls.
There are currently two refuge point cameras in key areas throughout Kirkby in addition to other Safer Streets funded programmes such as additional gating orders to prevent nuisance youths and antisocial behaviour in residential areas, extra CCTV and security devices for businesses in Kirkby to help prevent burglary and property damage, additional lighting across the district, and much more.
Commissioner Henry said: “It was amazing to visit Kirkby to see some of the amazing Safer Streets interventions in action.
“The refuge point cameras are so important in ensuring people in Kirkby have access to help when they need it.
“Especially when we talk about feelings of safety for young women and girls across the district, knowing that help is just a button push away will help people across Kirkby feel a lot safer whilst out and about.”
The Refuge Point camera system combines CCTV with the ability to instantly speak to the control room in an emergency.
The technology was developed from scratch and was first installed in Sutton-in-Ashfield in 2022 following funding through the Home Office’s Safer Streets programme.
Wireless CCTV, the company that was commissioned to create the devices, has now been inundated with orders and requests from across the country – from Durham to Devon.
The Safer Streets programming is an ongoing partnership between the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Nottinghamshire Police, and Ashfield District Council. Commissioner Henry was joined on the day by partners from the local authority, including District Council Chairman Dale Grounds and Cllr Andy Meakin.
“We are pleased that this state-of-the-art technology has been installed in Kirkby, following the successful roll out in Sutton last year. We know that the Safe Point Cameras make a huge difference to how women and girls feel.
“Ashfield District Council is committed to improving safety across Ashfield, and making the District a safe and welcoming place to visit, live, and work. The initiatives that the Council and our partners have implemented are helping us to achieve this aim,” Said Cllr Meakin, Ward Councillor for Abbey Hill.
Posted on Thursday 24th August 2023