Isle of Wight CCTV Monitoring Scrapped in Major Cost-Cutting Move
From Friday, the Isle of Wight Council will stop actively monitoring its CCTV cameras. The dedicated control room team in Newport, who watch 100 cameras 24/7, is being axed from May 17 to save costs.
Live CCTV Watching Ends – Cameras Still Roll
Although the cameras will keep recording, no one will watch the feeds live. This means no zooming in on incidents as they happen. Some crimes could go totally unnoticed, as cameras keep panning without focus.
Five Operators Gone – Crime Detection Takes a Hit
Right now, five operators spot crimes and pass info to the emergency services. They also track unfolding incidents across multiple cameras, helping investigations and court cases. For example, their footage proved crucial when a drink driver crashed into the River Medina in 2017.
Concerns Over Public Safety & Legal Duties
It’s unclear how this move affects the council’s legal responsibilities, such as handling Subject Access Requests from the public. Local schemes like Shop Watch and Pub Watch fear this will weaken their crime-fighting efforts.
“The active CCTV monitoring arrangements will cease on 17th May 2019,” a council spokesperson confirmed. “Cameras will still operate and footage remains available to police on request. Discussions with police are ongoing to agree a revised protocol.”
Huge Savings for Council – But At What Cost?
This CCTV cutback is part of a deal saving the council £600,000 a year from their highways contract with Island Roads. Over 18 years, that adds up to £11.4 million – potentially £40 million overall after future savings.
Hampshire Constabulary said: “CCTV coverage is useful for investigations. We are discussing the changes with the Isle of Wight Council but cannot comment on specifics.”
The move leaves locals wondering whether saving millions is worth losing real-time eyes on their streets.
