No police mobile CCTV resource left in Dundee – Liberal Democrats demand action

The Dundee Liberal Democrat council group has expressed grave concern at confirmation by Police Scotland that it appears there is no longer a mobile CCTV resource for crime prevention and detection in the Dundee city. They have written to the Police Scotland Chief Constable requesting an urgent clarification and review of the situation with a commitment to invest in new mobile CCTV resources for the city.

Broughty Ferry Liberal Democrat councillor Craig Duncan explained that, at a recent multi-agency meeting to discuss anti-social behaviour concerns in his ward, it became clear that there was doubt that the police still had any mobile CCTV resource in Dundee. He wrote to Police Scotland for clarification and was thereafter updated by Inspector Lucy Cameron as follows :

“Unfortunately, the only mobile CCTV van which we had was beyond repair and having exhausted all funding, we were unable to replace it at this time.”

Councillor Duncan said:

“I think it is vital that our local police have every resource possible in the city to help prevent and detect crime. The news that it would appear there is now no mobile CCTV provision at all in Dundee is simply unacceptable."

"The static CCTV across the city is limited in the number of areas it covers. Having the flexibility of CCTV vans has allowed monitoring of situations in streets and areas where the static provision simply does not reach. My Liberal Democrat group colleagues and I are really concerned at the loss of this facility in Dundee as the police should be given every tool possible in their role of tacking crime.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Fraser Macpherson, has now written to Sir Iain Livingstone, Police Scotland Chief Constable, asking that the lack of mobile CCTV provision in Dundee is urgently clarified and addressed.

Councillor Macpherson added:

"I have written to the Chief Constable on behalf of our Dundee Liberal Democrat council group to make clear that we would view the lack of mobile CCTV in Dundee as an unacceptable situation and we want to see mobile CCTV resourced."

“We sympathise with Police Scotland’s funding challenges – that’s down to the failures of the SNP Scottish Government. If Police Scotland simply cannot fund new state of the art mobile CCTV provision for Dundee, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs must step in and provide the funding needed."

“This situation must be urgently clarified and tackled as the police must be properly resourced and that includes having access to adequate provision of mobile CCTV units.”