Dundee has been left with no mobile CCTV unit due to lack of funding, according to local councillors.
The issue came to light last week following a meeting to address anti-social behaviour and vandalism in Broughty Ferry.
There is now a demand for urgent action to replace the unit to tackle ongoing vandalism in and around the city.
Broughty Ferry vandalism
A multi-agency meeting, including Police Scotland and Lib Dem councillor for Broughty Ferry, Craig Duncan, was held last week to discuss recent significant vandalism in his ward.
Mr Duncan said: “At the meeting it became clear that there was doubt the police still had any mobile CCTV resource in Dundee, so I wrote to Police Scotland for clarification.
“I was updated by Inspector Lucy Cameron who told me that unfortunately, the only mobile CCTV van in Dundee was beyond repair and having exhausted all funding, the police are unable to replace it at this time.”
Mr Duncan added: “It is vital that our local police have every resource possible in the city to help prevent and detect crime.
“The news that it would appear there is now no mobile CCTV provision at all in Dundee is simply unacceptable.
“The static CCTV across the city is limited in the number of areas it covers and having the flexibility of CCTV vans has allowed monitoring of situations in streets and areas where the static provision simply does not reach.
Lack of mobile CCTV deemed ‘unacceptable’
Lib Dem leader on Dundee City Council, Fraser Macpherson has written to Sir Iain Livingstone, Police Scotland’s chief constable, asking the lack of mobile CCTV provision in Dundee is urgently clarified and addressed.
Mr Macpherson said: “I want urgent clarification and review of the situation with a commitment to invest in new mobile CCTV resources for the city.
“The lack of mobile CCTV in Dundee is an unacceptable situation and we want to see mobile CCTV resourced.
“We sympathise with Police Scotland’s funding challenges. If Police Scotland cannot fund new state of the art mobile CCTV provision for Dundee, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs must step in and provide the funding needed.
“The police must be properly resourced and that includes having access to adequate provision of mobile CCTV units.”
Police: ‘A cost analysis was carried out’
Chief Inspector Ross Fitzgerald said: “Police Scotland is a national service and we are able to flex our resources which means important functions will always be delivered when needed.
“We continually review our operational needs to keep them in line with our local and national priorities to protect Scotland’s communities.
“A cost analysis was carried out prior to any decision being made about Tayside’s mobile CCTV van and resources from other areas will be drawn upon as and when required.”
Conversation