Community CCTV Schemes 'nearly designed not to work' Laois TD tells meeting

Frustration was voiced over the use of ‘masking’ on community CCTV schemes in Laois at a Joint Policing Committee meeting. 

The only officially approved Community CCTV scheme may as well switch off its cameras, the policing meeting was told.

Mountmellick’s Paddy Bracken expressed his belief that after years of work to bring the scheme to the town it may as well now be switched off.  

He was speaking after masking had been added to the system in Mountmellick to blur out any private property in a camera's field of vision.  

Mr Bracken said huge amounts of work had gone into the scheme in recent years. 

“Now we are at a stage where, as far as I am concerned, we may as well switch them off,” said Mr Bracken. 

Cllr John King asked about other schemes who wished to get CCTV cameras up and running. 

Chief Superintendent John Scanlan said legislation is due in relation to the operation of CCTV schemes. He said there were  complex issues around data protection and he noted Kildare County Council had recently been fined €50,000. 

Mr Bracken said after all the effort over the years he felt they may as well have not switched the system on. He asked how gardai could operate the system in Portlaoise without any issues. 

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley felt that people who had gone through the correct channels in setting up schemes must be frustrated. 

“They must be completely and utterly deflated,” she remarked. 

“It is nearly designed not to work the way it is constructed at the moment,” said Deputy Brian Stanley. 

“If it is that complicated to do, is it really a can do?” he asked. 

Deputy Stanley said once new legislation is introduced a simple process needs to be worked out for community schemes.

“I think the whole thing needs a complete reexamination because it is just not working,” he said. 

Director of Service Donal Brennan said the ‘masking’ of private property was an “unavoidable consequence” of data protection. 

Mr Bracken said the cameras may as well be switched off as operate with the masking that is in place.