London CCTV users got a thank-you, and a proverbial pat on the back, from the city’s police on Friday afternoon, July 15.
The thanks came at an awards ceremony at New Scotland Yard – which was the end of an era, as the 2016 CCTV awards were the last time the conference room at the building was used, before the Metropolitan Police made its move across the Thames to new premises. The host was Det Chief Insp Mick Neville, head of the central forensic image team at the Yard, who thanked CCTV providers for the ‘excellent evidence they provide’. CCTV, he pointed out, is the cheapest forensic science, cheaper that is than fingerprints and DNA; ‘we solve more crime than they do’. Too often, Mr Neville admitted, police can be criticised for not doing anything with CCTV provided by businesses. He assured the audience that CCTV was used by police, if the footage was given: “We finish the job.” The certificates were presented by the sponsor, Herman Vermaak, MD of body camera supplier B-Cam. The awards – like similar ceremonies earlier this year, for local government (featured in the July 2016 print issue of Professional Security magazine) did show variety of cases and uses of CCTV.
More words and pictures in the September 2016 print issue of Professional Security magazine.
Pictured left to right are Herman Vermaak of B-Cam and Barry Lugg, director of security at the Savoy Hotel.
Herman Vermaak said: ““B-Cam is very proud to be associated with the CCTV Awards. It means so much to hear the real life success stories of how the individuals and teams who operate CCTV are combating crime and enhancing community safety. We are working with Safer London to support these organisations for the future.”
Commendations went to Greenwich licensing; Paul Howes, security manager at Bentalls department store in Kingston; Ian Morrison and Darren Austin of Ladbrokes; Rob King and team of Kings Security; James Baldwin and Indipal Thind of Hounslow home warden service; Ashley Denis Young of Kings Cross Estate Services; Barry Lugg of the Savoy; Selfridges on Oxford Street; Pret A Manger; Carphone Warehouse; Facewatch founder Simon Gordon; John Clark of the Met Police; Lodge Service, for retailer Primark in Westminster; M&M World in Leicester Square (using body-worn cameras since last year in a trial through the Safer West End business crime reduction partnership); and the pub chain JD Wetherspoons. Best CCTV team was the London borough of Southwark; and best CCTV operator, Greg Stalmach at the London borough of Hillingdon.
