Police, camera, action! (From This is Hampshire)

Police, camera, action!

9:29am Monday 15th October 2007

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A MODERN approach to policing the streets or taking Big Brother to another level?

Ten years ago you would never even consider being caught on camera by a bobby on the beat as you headed out for a night on the town.

But across the city centre weekend revellers saw officers from Southampton's community safety team take to the streets armed with long lens digital cameras and handheld video cameras to record people as they headed to and from late night venues.

Police say it's the latest tool in the fight against crime and antisocial behaviour - deterring people on a night out from causing or getting into trouble because they are on camera. Already proved to be a success in Essex, the operation was the first of its kind in Hampshire.

But for those on the other side of the lens there was mixed reaction over whether the new scheme, being piloted in the city, would in fact reduce problems or leave people intimidated and feeling like their privacy was being invaded on a whole new level.

Under the codename Operation Sadler, three teams of officers - made up of two constables and two forward intelligence team (FIT) officers - patrolled designated areas of the city that have been identified as hotspots for trouble on nights out.

The Daily Echo joined them at Southampton Central police station at 7.30pm on Friday night for the operation briefing where each team was given a map of their designated patrol route, along with cameras and video recording equipment.

The point of the trial operation was simple - to prevent trouble from happening and to communicate with the public.

Operation leader Inspector Tony Rowlinson told the officers that each area - Leisure World, Above Bar Street and Bedford Place - had been selected following information gathered at weekends by accident and emergency staff at Southampton General Hospital.

"We know that in certain areas, between certain times there is more likely to be an incident than anywhere else," he said.

"The idea is to get out there, let the public see us early in the night and know we are around with cameras.

"Then when they see us later on when they are leaving bars and clubs they will remember we have them on camera and will go home without causing any trouble.

"This not only frees up time for police officers but also helps cut down the number of people that end up in A&E on a Friday or Saturday night due to alcohol-related incidents," he added.

For more, read today's Daily Echo

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