Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson says he doesn’t know how many of the 5,000 crimes committed in Douglas over the last three years have been cleared up thanks to CCTV.
In the House of Keys he faced questions from South Douglas MHK Kate Beecroft about the video surveillance systems in the capital.
She wanted to know how many cameras there were in total, how many crimes there had been in the last three years and how often police requested and used footage.
Mr Watterson said there had been almost 5,000 offences in the Douglas area – but he didn’t know how many cameras covered the area.
In his written reply, Mr Watterson said no data was kept about how often CCTV formed part of the evidence in a trial or how often it was relied upon by the prosecution.
However, he said 'many' cases relied solely on CCTV footage.
He also couldn’t answer Mrs Beecroft’s query about how many crimes had been prevented thanks to the presence of cameras since 2008.
And although he couldn’t say how many cameras there are in Douglas, he pointed out a number of bodies such as the Department of Infrastructure and Department of Education have systems which may cover public areas – as well as the system run by Douglas Council.
Researching your Manx family history can be a very interesting and rewarding hobby. Trace your roots in the Isle of Man with our helpful of guide.
