A councillor has warned that £3.5million worth of upgrades to Buckinghamshire Council’s CCTV network should not replace police officers.

The Council inherited its CCTV cameras from the five legacy councils which merged into a unitary authority in 2020.

It is developing a strategy, working closely with Thames Valley Police, to modernise and replace the devices, some of which are 10-15 years old and at the end of their lifespan.

However, Councillor Gregory Smith has raised concerns from Bucks residents that CCTV is being used by Thames Valley Police to replace officers on the beat and questioned whether CCTV reduces crime.

Speaking during Wednesday’s Communities & Localism Select Committee, he said: “I don’t think there is any research that shows that CCTV reduces crime or increases detection.”

He added: “The concern that I hear from the community is that CCTV is welcomed by local police because it is an excuse for having less police available.

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“We need to be really careful about our enthusiasm for CCTV because it should not replace real policing.”

However, Gideon Springer, Head of Community Safety hit back at Cllr Smith’s remarks, while noting that the £3.5million worth of upgrades has not yet been approved.

He said: “You say there is no research, well there is research, but having been a police officer for 30 years, I can tell you that without the support of CCTV, very few prosecutions are successful.

“Particularly in many of the more serious cases -whether it is murders, rapes, terrorism offences, CCTV has played an important part, not just in the prosecution, but in the conviction of those involved.”

As part of its five-year strategy Council has now established a single central CCTV control room in High Wycombe.

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Mr Springer told the Committee: “Buckinghamshire Council is supportive of the appropriate growth and investment in its CCTV infrastructure.

“However, it is recognised this is an expensive and non-statutory service for the Council to invest in at a time when public sector resources are severely constrained.

“It has been estimated that the cost of updating the existing the public space CCTV control room and cameras is in the region of £3 million to £3.5 million and this will be over a three-to-four-year period.”

The CCTV strategy also includes ensuring that cameras are deployed in areas with the highest need, according to police, securing private investment in CCTV and reviewing the feasibility of providing a single network.

The Council’s CCTV network includes body-worn video, automatic number plate recognition cameras, traffic management cameras, and covert surveillance.

International College of Policing data shows a 13 per cent reduction in crime and a 20 per cent reduction in drug-related crime in places with CCTV.