Peterborough’s largest housing association Cross Keys Homes has succeeded in curbing yobbish behaviour with the use of real time TV.
The charitable association manages two blocks of flats containing bedsits, occupied by a mix of mostly young single people.
Both blocks are situated in small shopping parades, a haven for youths to gather and cause nuisance both inside and outside the flats. Despite our best endeavours to keep young people out of the foyers they continued to get in and cause nuisance and damage and intimidate residents.
Neighbourhood managers from the area office one mile away continually had to visit the block to deal with complaints after they had happened. The quality of life for residents was deteriorating and staff were feeling demoralised always being one step behind the bad behaviour.
Joan Tibbs anti-social behaviour manager explained: “Quite by chance in the summer we had a demonstration from a CCTV firm, ‘more of the same’ I assumed.
“However, the difference with this system is that it is completely ‘’wireless’’. Neighbourhood managers can log on to a laptop at the office one mile down the road and watch ‘live’ footage of exactly what is going on in the flats.”
Unwelcome guests have quickly learnt that staff can be on the scene within a matter of minutes to deal with any anti-social behaviour, and since the CCTV signs have gone up and the cameras have been installed, criminal damage, nuisance and graffiti have reduced by at least 90 per cent. The camera lenses are almost indestructible, and they don’t look out of place as they are discretely sited. Residents have reported that they all feel so much safer and word has quickly spread among young people that hanging about in or outside these blocks is no longer an option.
Joan added: “You can log on to the system from other locations too. The system requires no tapes as it all runs on a hard drive. You can view images of the night before either by time, movement or location. Images can also be downloaded to the laptop to provide evidence quality pictures.
"Investing in this sort of technology means a safer and better quality of life for our tenants and smarter working for our staff.”