CRIMINAL gangs, drink drivers, drug dealers and violent offenders have all been tracked down thanks to Bridgnorth’s new state-of-the-art CCTV cameras.
A catalogue of crimes carried out by various offenders have been picked up on the new high tech cameras, which cover the whole town and can zoom in to identify suspects doing everything from dealing drugs or stealing to breaking windows and fighting.
Since the £95,000 system was installed in August, monthly crime detection rates have risen from an average 49 to 56 per cent to 77 to 82 per cent, with one month’s detection rate approaching 90 per cent. The figures were released this week by Sergeant Bob Matthews of Bridgnorth Police, who said the cameras were “a vital tool” in the fight against crime.
Among the criminals captured on camera were an organised gang who executed a smash-and-grab raid on the Somerfield store in Low Town on November 27 at 12.30am.
They were spotted by a member of the public, and CCTV evidence helped identify the get-away vehicle.
A car chase across Telford towards Wolverhampton took place, and three men were arrested.
Also in November, five males with French number plates on their vehicle were seen on camera acting in a drunken manner and getting ready to drive off. One of the group was arrested by police for drink driving.
Further incidents captured on CCTV last month included:
*two drunken males punching and kicking windows, then releasing the brakes on a trailer and pushing it down Cartway until it crashed into walls and scaffolding
* a woman and two men trying to sell fake gold to antique shops in the town
* a theft of suitcases from Baker’s at the top of Cartway by a man and woman who were arrested the same afternoon
* a car crash into an engraving shop in High Street, for which a female was arrested and dealt with in court
* boy racers racing in the High Street and Listley Street areas
* Underage children riding scooters in the library car park without helmets and creating a danger to members of the public.
Police are using CCTV data to trace the offenders. Sergeant Matthews said there had been a marked decrease in violent crime since the cameras had been installed.
“I would like to thank the steering group who helped to put this excellent system in place, and thank the volunteers who are manning the control room on behalf of police”, he said.