Hull in print

It's late evening and a man walks into a supermarket, meat cleaver in hand, to attempt to rob staff of the day's takings.
But before he makes his escape, armed police arrive, handcuff him and lead him into the back of the waiting police vehicle.
In another scene, a group of youths walk towards a house in the Preston Road area, and thinking they are not being watched, they break into the property.
While they are still inside, police arrive in a patrol car to catch the would-be burglars red-handed.
And in another incident, a man sprays a graffiti 'tag' on a wall in Albion Street, Hull city centre, before walking away laughing and joking with his mates.
Minutes later, police arrest the man in nearby Baker Street and take him away for questioning.

Evidence gathering

These incidents were among those filmed by CCTV over the past 12 months in Hull.
The cameras have led to 2,000 arrests by Humberside Police officers for all kinds of offences in the past year and more than 1,000 pieces of recorded footage were used as evidence in court cases.
The cameras can follow suspects through the streets as incidents unfold and are so powerful they can be zoomed in to show what is being held in someone's hand.
There are 40 cameras in the city centre keeping a watch on main roads and pedestrian areas such as Freetown Way, Queen Victoria Square, Carr Lane, Prospect Street, George Street, Jameson Street, King Edward Street and Bond Street.
Outside of the city centre there are 24 in East Park while the others are distributed along main roads, shopping areas and residential districts of the city including Bridlington Avenue, Holderness Road, Beverley Road, Princes Avenue, Newland Avenue, Newbridge Road, Falkland Road, Orchard Park, Bransholme, Ings estate, Spring Bank, Hessle Road, and Willerby Road.

Valuable and worthwhile

"It's an invaluable tool for fighting crime and maintaining public safety.
The camera system has more than proven its worth since it was introduced in Hull seven years ago," says Martin Walker, principal security officer for the CCTV system.
"Pictures paint more than a thousand words and the evidence the cameras provide just cannot be argued with.
The system saves countless hours of time for both the police and the courts when dealing with criminal cases."
If a spate of burglaries is reported in a specific area, adds Mr Walker, the police can, as part of a planned operation, ask for CCTV cameras to be trained on the street at the times the break-ins are taking place.
More often than not, surveillance records the culprits coming back and attempting the crime once again.
The cameras can then keep an eye on the suspects until police arrive and make an arrest.

Camera facts ...

The cameras are mounted on poles, fixed on the walls of buildings, and on the roofs of blocks of flats.
They can film live footage at 25 frames a second, which is the same speed at which the human eye sees.
The CCTV team also works in close partnership with Humberside Fire and Rescue. If a fire breaks out in a car, house or public building, information is relayed to fire officers to ensure they are fully aware of what to expect when they arrive at the scene.
CCTV also supports a clubwatch and four pubwatch schemes in Hull to minimise alcohol-related crime and disorder in Hull's night-time venues.

info

The CCTV system is provided in association with Hull Citysafe, a multi-agency partnership including Hull City Council and Humberside Police.
For more information visit www.hullcc.gov.uk


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