CCTV in public spaces

The purpose of town centre CCTV is to deter and detect crime. This creates a safer environment for the whole community. Around 30% of the incidents we monitor involve vulnerable or ill individuals in need of medical assistance or other help.

We understand that there may be public concern over the use of CCTV in public spaces. We work closely with town and parish council staff to ensure that the privacy of individuals is not compromised. We ensure this in a number of ways including:

• strict controls on access to CCTV recordings and the monitoring suite
• the locations and coverage of the cameras

All monitoring personnel are Security Industry Authority trained. They operate according to the Surveillance Camera Commissioner’s Code of Practice and our own operation regulations. You can find links or copies of these documents on our CCTV useful documents page.

There are 143 cameras in operation across 13 towns in Cornwall. We work closely with Devon and Cornwall Police and other enforcement agencies. We use CCTV to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and protect vulnerable people in their local communities.

The scheme is funded entirely by the town and parish councils via council tax. The aim of this innovative scheme is to provide a safer environment for residents, local businesses and visitors.

Through the use of CCTV, we aim to deter anti-social behaviour and prevent crime.  

The 360 degree cameras provide high quality digital images that we can use to support police prosecutions.  A link is also established to the Emergency Management Centre at County Hall in Truro. This allows us to access the images in emergency situations such as flooding and major fires.

Personnel from the Critical Control Centre have direct links to the police, street pastors and ambulance services. This means they can call for immediate help for anyone they see who has fallen ill or is injured in an emergency.

A special stakeholder group has been set up to oversee and manage the scheme. The group is comprised of:

• members and clerks from the Town and Parish Councils
• representatives from the Fire and Rescue Service
• representatives from Devon and Cornwall Police

It is chaired by a member from a different council each year.

The CCTV system is used for the following purposes:

• To help identify, and summon help for, vulnerable people, including those in need of medical assistance
• To work in partnership with the police to improve community safety
• To reduce the fear of crime, which includes assisting the police in the prevention and/or detection of crime
• To enable the identification, apprehension and prosecution of people carrying out crime, disorder and other criminal matters.
• To assist emergency service controllers to allocate an appropriate response to incidents  
• To assist the local authority with enforcement information and action under its licensing powers.

Number of cameras in Cornwall and locations

Location of our CCTV cameras in Cornwall