More CCTV cameras could be deployed in anti-social behaviour ‘hotspots’ across Trowbridge town centre in a bid to make the streets safer.

Trowbridge Town Council is investigating the costs of installing two or three more CCTVs to monitor ASB ‘hotspots’ in addition to the 22 cameras already installed across the town centre.

The council is hopes to use money available from the Home Office Safer Streets funds awarded to Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson.

The move follows recent consultation on whether Wiltshire Council should apply for a Public Spaces Protection Order covering the town centre to clamp down on ASB incidents.

Their purpose is to prevent, deter, and detect crime and anti-social behaviour. The recorded CCTV images are used to support police investigations.

The CCTV camera covering the Lloyds Bank area in Fore Street, Trowbridge.The CCTV camera covering the Lloyds Bank area in Fore Street, Trowbridge. (Image: Trevor Porter)

Cllr David Vigar, chair of the anti-social behaviour and street crime sub-committee, now renamed the street safety sub-committee, said: “We have expressed interest in Home Office funding for some deployable, or portable, CCTV units via the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.

“We have said that we would like to deploy two or three units that can be moved from location to location as needs arise. Each unit would consist of a camera, video recorder, power supply, 5G router and SIM card. The cost of each unit is around £3,000 including installation.

“These would be in addition to our current CCTV network. Trowbridge Town Council operates 22 fixed CCTV cameras in the town centre area, including the park.

“Two of these are currently offline because they are awaiting work to repair the power supplies. The annual running cost of the TTC system is £5,600.

“We do not monitor CCTV in real time as we do not have the resources to do so but we access footage if the police request it for the prevention and detection of crime, for apprehending and prosecution of offenders, or for locating missing and vulnerable individuals, all of which constitute a lawful basis for processing personal data.

“Last year we undertook an extensive upgrade of the system which included replacing eight cameras with improved ones that have both a fixed lens and a ‘point-tilt-zoom’ or PTZ lens, effectively doubling the capacity from each viewing point.

“We also have one solar powered unit that is deployable to different locations, which is currently being tested.”

This CCTV camera covers the area at the bottom of Wicker Hill in Trowbridge.This CCTV camera covers the area at the bottom of Wicker Hill in Trowbridge. (Image: Trevor Porter)

The continuing upgrading of the town’s CCTV system is one of a series of measures being taken to promote street safety in Trowbridge by the Town Council, Trowbridge Police, Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

These measures have also included extra police patrols, weekend town warden patrols, a revived Pub Watch group, and the removal of benches that were encouraging anti-social behaviour in Wicker Hill.

“It is good to have all these partners working together to make Trowbridge a safe place to live, work and socialise,” Cllr Vigar said.

“The criteria from the Home Office are quite narrow and cameras have to be deployable not fixed. The funding is for ASB hotspots. As areas pop up cameras are deployed there.

The CCTV camera for the Town Hall area covering Market Street in Trowbridge.The CCTV camera for the Town Hall area covering Market Street in Trowbridge. (Image: Trevor Porter)

The ASB ‘hotspots’ are predominantly in the town centre, where Trowbridge Police have recorded 82 incidents in the past two months. There were 41 in July, an increase of 11 on July 2023, and 41 in August, an increase of nine on the same month last year.

Kez Garner, chair of Trowbridge Chamber of Commerce, who has been co-opted onto the Street Safety Sub-Committee, said they are also encouraging private businesses to purchase their own CCTV, particularly those in the ASB hotspot areas.