Cathaoirleach of Westport Town Council, Councillor Christy Hyland, stressed that the installation of a CCTV system in the town should be rolled out as soon as possible — even just starting with one camera.
At Monday’s meeting of a joint policing committee, members discussed how the proposal for CCTV for the town was coming along. At a previous meeting it was heard that a revised CCTV application had to be made; due to the initial costing of a 16 camera system.
Inspector Joe McKenna said that he addressed the CCTV advisory committee in Dublin on behalf of Westport, and there was a recommendation to revise the CCTV application due to funding and because the committee considers Westport as having a low level of crime in comparison to other areas.
The inspector said that if certain areas of the town were concentrated on, such as the top of Bridge Street, near the Mall, Castlebar Street, and around the cinema, then the revised application could be for seven or eight cameras.
Insp McKenna said the CCTV system in Castlebar “is God’s gift” as it works “tremendously” well in the solving and preventing of crime.
The inspector said that some people might not like a CCTV system in the town as it feels like “Big Brother is watching”, however he said that every day in many shops we are being watched on camera and “no one thinks anything of it”.
Cllr Hyland said he is a big supporter of the installation of a CCTV system for the town, especially with the numbers of people visiting the town at the weekends. “Personally I would like to see one or two cameras to start with, let’s get this moving.”
A CCTV sub committee for the town is to be set up.
