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CCTV pods to be rolled out after successful trial

Martin Heath
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire OFPCC A tall black unit which is in three sections and widens at the top and bottom. It has yellow and black police stripes on the corners and "Safer Pod S1" written on the bottom segment. It is standing on the parquet floor of a shop which has many shelves displaying antique and collectable items.Northamptonshire OFPCC
The CCTV pods were piloted at a shop in Northampton

A Dalek-style anti-crime kit that has reduced shoplifting in a town centre will now be rolled out for the summer.

Temporary CCTV pods, which had been trialled in a Northampton shop, will be funded by the office of the police, crime and fire commissioner (OPFCC) as part of a retail crime strategy.

According to the commissioner, Labour's Danielle Stone, the pods help monitor activity and act as a visual deterrent to crime.

She said addressing the impact of retail crime on communities was one of her "top priorities".

When the CCTV pods were installed in the Vintage Guru shop in Northampton, the owner Julie Teckman said they reminded her of the infamous Doctor Who cyborgs.

She said the units had been successful in deterring opportunist crime within a few weeks.

She said: "They are quite big and noticeable, which you need so people know they are being watched."

Northamptonshire OPFCC Danielle stone with short white hair and glasses, wearing a dark top and jacket, talking to Julie Teckman with long curly dark hair and glasses, wearing a red sweater with black gilet. They are standing in a shop with cards, flowers and other items for sale.Northamptonshire OPFCC
Vintage Guru owner Julie Teckman discusses retail crime with the PFCC, Danielle Stone

Commissioner Ms Stone has now agreed to fund them as part of her public safety strategy.

The news was announced at a retail crime roundtable event, which saw the PFCC, Chief Constable, crime prevention specialists and retailers come together to discuss the root causes of shoplifting.

It heard from Corby's town centre manager, Dan Pickard, who said new measures to tackle a "massive peak" of anti-social behaviour had reduced crime by 75%.

Mr Pickard said: "We had a massive peak of anti-social behaviour in the town centre last year.

"We went from about 30 serious anti-social behaviour incidents a month to 220 over a sustained four-month period.

"The PFCC's office managed to get additional ring-fenced Home Office funding for Corby town centre and three-quarters of those offences have now gone - it's been incredible to have a 75% reduction in anti-social behaviour.

He added that footfall had grown by 18% year-on-year in the last month.

Dan Pickard with medium-length hair wearing a dark black padded jacket. He is standing on a pavement outside a two-storey Primark store with blue and white walls.
The Corby town centre director, Dan Pickard, said there had been a big reduction in town centre crime

Ms Stone said: "Addressing retail crime and the impact on our community is one of my top priorities and it's really important that conversations with retailers are meaningful and actions taken away are effective.

"We want to understand what drives crime and once we understand that we can begin to find solutions."

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