Surveillance is Reassurance

Department for Transport research indicates that for passengers travelling on a bus, CCTV surveillance is the most important form of reassurance.Phil Bateman Corporate Affairs Director said " Travel West Midlands has recently been attending a number of conferences speaking about our Operation Safer Travel partnership with West Midlands Police, and explaining that we have nearly 700 CCTV systems installed on board our fleet of buses.The success of the system is that we have been using the images with great effect not only to deter crime but also to detect crime, when it has happened.In the last few weeks we have seen the full value of our investment in CCTV when a youth who had been scrawling graffiti all over a bus gave himself up to the police. After his photograph was displayed in local newspapers. This message has been given to two recent transport conferences held in London and one which was attended by the Minister for Transport Tony McNulty. The Operation Safer Travel partnership with West Midlands Police is recognised across the Country as being important in deterring and detecting crime on board bus and tram services in the West Midlands."

Published 2nd June 2004