Inspector praises CCTV cameras in helping sex offence cases

Inspector Tim Williams said the cameras assist officers when they are patrolling the parks at night.

This comes as the Echo is fighting to get CCTV cameras in every park in Southampton as part of our Reclaim our Parks campaign.

The squad is particularly focused on stopping Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), something I saw first-hand when I went out on patrol with them.

Police in Southampton on Saturday night (Image: Newsquest) The patrols of Southampton city centre parks are part of Operation Defender.

This multi-response operation sees the police, council, security staff, and volunteers work together to ensure safety on Friday and Saturday nights.

The message of the operation on Saturday night was clear: stop and prevent violence against women and girls.

During a briefing held in Above Bar Street Church, PC Elaine Cook reminded officers and those involved in Operation Defender in target areas.

Those working in the area of Above Bar Street and London Road were told to carry out patrols of East Park and Houndwell Park as a “priority” following sexual assaults in the park this year.

While some officers patrol the parks on foot, paramedic Jack Ansell drove myself and Inspector Williams through East Park, Houndwell Park, and Palmerston Park, to check the area for anyone suspicious, or in need of some help.  

“It’s no secret we had some very serious sexual assaults in the spring, but we’ve had no serious incidents since in the summer until now”, Inspector Williams told me during our patrol of the parks, adding: “We don’t know if that’s because of our joint response, or luck, but it’s good news.”

The joint response vehicle is manned by one paramedic and a police officer (and myself on this occasion) to reduce the number of ambulances being called out.

Since November last year, using this vehicle has saved around 151 ambulances, which could then be used for other emergencies.

Why target the city parks?

At the beginning of June, a woman in her 40s reported she had been raped in East Park in the early hours of the morning.

The incident sparked worry amongst residents, with one woman who lives nearby describing it as “horrendous”.

READ MORE:

• Woman knocked unconscious in city park attack backs calls for CCTV
• Women back calls for CCTV as Echo launches Reclaim Our Parks campaign

(Image: Newsquest) A CCTV camera was recently installed in East Park and, along with other CCTV cameras in the city, is monitored by a team, and used by police if needed.

Inspector Williams said: “We are looking at having more lighting in parks and having maps installed showing people where they are.

“We have a camera in Hoglands Park, and a camera has just been installed in East Park.

“You are always going to have issues with lighting in parks, but these cameras give us coverage, and we have great coverage of the city centre.

“Plus, venues now patrol the perimeter of their premises after closing time to make sure there is nobody heading towards the parks.”

Police in Southampton on Saturday night (Image: Newsquest) Inspector Williams said the “really strong” partnership between the police and partners is helping to keep people safe.

He added: “The Street Pastors in particular are laser-focused when it comes to the parks and we don’t know what we’d do without them.”

Jenny Coleman was representing the Street Pastors at the briefing and went out with her team to support people in need.

She said: “In the last nine months we have saved two people who were close to death. We found them in the bushes; their shoes gave them away.

“We can put more CCTV in parks, but we still need that human interaction as cameras cannot always see in the bushes.”

Inspector Williams said: “For a really long time it was only police out on patrols, but we are really well linked with all our partners.

“Having everybody involved means we know who is where in the city centre, and who can help with a situation.”