CCTV cameras not up to the job, say police

CRIMINALS in Tayside are avoiding being caught because of CCTV cameras which are no longer fit for purpose.

Tayside Police said systems installed in local businesses to protect staff and deter shoplifters are often not properly maintained.

Crime prevention officers are urging firms and shops with CCTV cameras to check their system is working properly.

Most large towns and cities have public CCTV monitored by police and supplemented by large stores and shops with in-house systems.

Crime prevention officer Donald Campbell said the hopes of police officers were often short-lived as vital evidence was lost due to in-house CCTV systems which were no longer fit for purpose. He said: ‘‘CCTV is not something that you fit and forget. It must be properly deployed and maintained before it can do the job it is designed for.

‘‘The main problems we come across are staff members not knowing how to work the CCTV system or even download a picture.

“We are also still seeing old VHS tapes which have been used over and over again, giving a picture of a snowstorm instead of the criminal. Some CCTV systems have clearly not been serviced regularly so the pictures are of very poor quality.

“Often the time and date on the recordings are way out because nobody takes responsibility to check them. Sadly, we have also seen some stores place Christmas decorations over security cameras and large displays in front of them, blocking the view.”

Advice on CCTV systems for shops and businesses is available at www.ico.gov.uk or by contacting Tayside Police crime prevention officers on 0845 6005705.