NEARLY 140 people have been arrested following monitoring carried out by Cumbria’s new cutting-edge CCTV system.

Police chiefs say the technology has helped in the arrest of alleged drugs criminals, thieves, robbers and thugs.

A top-level report reveals the results of the system, which went live at the end of July after nearly two years of planning.

The 53-camera set-up covers key locations across places including Whitehaven, Workington, Carlisle and Penrith.

In the report, Chief Inspector Kevin Spedding reveals the current position five months on from the launch, also speaking of the part cameras can play in fighting crime.

He states: “CCTV has played a crucial role in delivering a safe and secure environment. It supports crime prevention during the day as well as reducing incidents of anti-social behaviour and crime and disorder in the evening.

“CCTV deters criminals while providing reassurance to the public. It has a significant impact on bringing offenders to justice, providing compelling evidence for an investigation or through monitoring to track suspects and bring officers to the scene.”

Chief Insp Spedding said that since its launch it had helped with arrests linked to serious crimes.

“These include specific examples where the use of CCTV has aided in the arrest of offenders for drugs-related offences, thefts, violence, robbery and firearms offences,” he added.

On the general use of CCTV, he said: “The value of images cannot be overstated, as they present evidence in a unique unbiased way.”

This, he added, potentially led to early admissions from offenders, cutting investigation time.

The system is run from the Cumbria Police communications centre at the force’s Carleton Hall headquarters, near Penrith.

Staff monitor it round-the-clock at peak times for trouble, such as weekends, with other trained workers on hand to step in at all other times. All images are recorded and kept for 30 days, unless stored longer as evidence.

CCTV systems were run in Cumbria by local authorities but came under threat during budget cuts. Plans were then made for this new system, a joint venture involving Cumbria’s crime commissioner, Richard Rhodes, police and district councils.

The report was being discussed at a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) of Mr Rhodes’ executive board at the county force’s headquarters.