Police praise for the street watchers

Reporter: DAWN MARSDEN
Date published: 29 July 2014


OLDHAM’S fourth emergency service has been praised by police for doing its bit to keep the town safe.

The council’s First Response Service was launched 16 years ago and operates around the clock to protect public spaces, civic buildings and schools.

Through its control room, the service also takes out-of-hours calls, oversees the council’s response to emergency situations, keeps an eye on alarms in public buildings and monitors CCTV cameras.

The team works alongside police and fire officers and staff are trained to assist with civil emergencies.

In total, First Response monitor 77 public-space cameras and 90 street cameras mainly in parts of Chadderton, Fitton Hill, Limehurst, Failsworth, Glodwick, Westwood, Coldhurst and Werneth.

The council recently invested £320,000 upgrading the control room.

The works include increased digital storage and more CCTV screens to make the system fit for purpose for years to come.

Last year, First Response supported police with CCTV assistance on 538 occasions.

Incidents ranged from helping in the search for missing persons, assaults, robberies, vandalism and burglaries.

Information was recently passed on which led to the location of a cannabis farm and the service’s assistance also helped lead to the arrest of two armed robbers who had carried out a raid in Oldham town centre.

Chief Supt Caroline Ball, Divisional Police Commander for Oldham, Tameside and Stockport has complimented First Response for its co-operative working which is beneficial across the borough.

She said: “There is absolutely no doubt that some of the successes we have had in locating people so quickly has been because of the support offered by our colleagues in First Response.

“The upgraded CCTV work undertaken by Oldham Council has meant that the quality of the footage obtained has been significant in supporting cases where quite serious offences have been committed.

“I can’t say enough positive things about our working relationship with colleagues in First Response.”

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Oldham Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods and co-operatives, said: “The council takes seriously our co-operative working with the police and other stakeholders in making Oldham safer, particularly in the town centre.”
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