Residents signing up to new Kenilworth CCTV register scheme

The scheme involves residents signing up to register any CCTV that householders may have installed.

The CCTV register scheme is designed to help police quickly identify where any CCTV is situated should they need to investigate an incident.

Kenilworth's Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) with Warwickshire Police support the scheme, which has just been launched specifically for Kenilworth and Burton Green householders.

A spokesperson for Kenilworth SNT said: "We believe the scheme will help reinforce residents own security while potentially also helping the wider community."

Kenilworth Watch will be solely responsible for the operation, maintenance and data compliance of the CCTV register.

Kenilworth's SNT have a daily working relationship with Kenilworth Watch and can see how such a facility can help them detect crime but equally as important deter crime too.

Crucially the register and system will enable the SNT to save valuable time while by identifying where CCTV may be situated.

The register, which does not involve any live access to householders private CCTV, also covers 'RING' doorbells as these devices also provide very effective CCTV.

Kenilworth Watch, who launched the CCTV Register scheme after seeing a successful scheme in nearby Finham, Coventry, are appealing to people who might not have yet registered to do so and for householders that have CCTV doorbells to also register.

A spokesperson for Kenilworth Watch said: "We have been overwhelmed by the speed as which so many residents from across Kenilworth have signed up to the CCTV register so far.

"It shows there is a real great community spirit in our town.

"With 35 properties already registered we'd love to get the number to at least over 50 properties because that's such a message about Kenilworth that will help drive crime prevention and encourage offenders miss out our town and go elsewhere.

"We love to hear from people who have not yet got round to registering and also from householders who have "RING" type doorbells that record people approaching the door, it's CCTV and it would be great to have it on the register.

"All we need for residents to register is their name, address, email and ideally their telephone number and that's it."

Often CCTV images can help the police track or discover a wider level of activity by offenders.

The Finham scheme has been successful in this respect. When several residents, who were signed up to the CCTV register, all provided images of persons approaching their property what resident's thought were individual events were pieced together by police who then had evidence that the area was being targeted. Consequently, offenders were duly caught and prosecuted.