COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

HEADED ITEM NO. 3

Report on CCTV 

Anti-social behaviour is an unfortunate aspect of our modern society. The consequences of it impact particularly heavily on our parks and open spaces and while it is more evident in those parks and open spaces that do not have a daily staff presence, the majority of anti-social behaviour takes place during the hours of darkness after the parks have closed and our staff have finished work for the day. 

Physical measures that have been taken to tackle anti social activity in parks include the provision of boundary walls and railings, installation of vehicle control barriers and kissing gates and routine patrolling by the Park Rangers. 

CCTV is another measure that is sometimes employed to combat anti-social activities.  The provision of CCTV systems has the effect of deterring anti-social behaviour and activities, principally by displacing the anti-social activity to a location in the vicinity which is not covered by cameras. In residential areas, where the location of a camera system becomes well known, levels of anti-social behaviour fall as the area is avoided. The problem moves around the corner.

The main reason for this is that CCTV systems are generally passive in nature. Some of the systems installed recently have included a "voice over facility" which can be quite effective in deterring anti-social behaviour at the lower end of the scale e.g loitering, littering etc.  However, as you move up the scale of anti-social behaviour to more serious activity such as drinking, joy riding etc, the CCTV function increasingly becomes one of recording what happens for possible later use as support for prosecutions initiated by the Gardaí. The success of such systems in supporting prosecutions depends on the quality of the images recorded. The Council also has experience of concerted attempts being made to disable and destroy camera systems installed for the purposes of deterring anti-social behaviour.

There are a range of issues to be addressed in relation to the installation of any CCTV system, the main ones being the capital cost, maintenance and management costs and the ongoing monitoring arrangements.

Some of the existing CCTV cameras do not function effectively at night or when light levels are low.  They result in reduced quality of recorded information which is not sufficient to enable individuals to be identified.  To address this issue the cameras used need to cater for night time recording which in turn adds to the initial capital costs.  

To be fully effective CCTV systems should facilitate live monitoring.  This enables the camera to be focused on any incidents that may be occurring at the time and direct an appropriate response by the relevant authority to the locus in question.  This is the method of operation for the camera located on Drumfinn Avenue overlooking Glenaulin Park, which is linked directly to Ballyfermot Garda Station. 

While CCTV has a role to play in minimising the issues outlined above, it is considered to form only one part of what needs to be an integrated approach involving other elements such as parents, local community and Gardaí.