CCTV Captures Over 14,000 Parking Offenders |
Netting Hounslow Council over £500,000 of revenue in just four months Official figures show that Hounslow Council have issued almost 15,000 PCNs since CCTV enforcement was introduced in mid July this year. A total of 14,781 have been issued to motorists across the borough using newly installed CCTV cameras in the past four months netting the council more than half a million pounds in revenue. One such camera, positioned on the railway bridge outside Turnham Green Tube was branded "oppressive" and "unacceptable" by residents but defended by the council who stated that it was there to "try and improve the flow of traffic outside the tube station which sometimes can be impeded by cars dropping off or picking up at the station." Although residents have reported getting tickets from this camera after waiting an estimated two minutes. These PCN figures were released the same week that Chiswick Ward Councillors were asked for £30,000 towards a borough wide mobile CCTV system to target crime hotspot areas. The system, which has been in the planning stages for the past two years, would see 20 DomeHawk cameras (LBH currently have 12) linked to a central computer. However the scheme is at risk because of a funding shortfall and requests for donations have not been welcomed by all Committees. Addressing local Councillors last week, Inspector Adrian Baxter said “We are plateauing in crime detection rate at the moment so this scheme is needed. Having moveable cameras is vital. We could then deploy them anywhere at short notice. It would be the only system like it in the country.” Ward Councillors would bid for the new DomeHawks via local Police using information received from residents about crime hotspots. Under the new proposals, a further 80 parking enforcement cameras would be incorporated into the scheme. Hounslow Council is believed to have set a target to repeat the zero percent rise in council tax and have budgeted for a £3 million surplus on the parking account for the current financial year. This requires a substantial increase in the number of tickets being issued and this is being partly met by new CCTV enforcement cameras in Chiswick and Brentford.
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