New CCTV police van for Nottingham crime hotspots 'not a good sign'
A new CCTV van launched by police to tackle anti-social behaviour in Nottingham is a "bad sign" of the state of the city, residents near a problem spot say. Last week, Nottinghamshire Police unveiled the vehicle, which has cameras with a 360-degree view and are capable of seeing faces from more than 1,500 feet away.
The force is deploying the van in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour across certain neighbourhoods in the city. The van, which will be staffed by officers, has six cameras and a telescopic mast which can reach a height of more than three metres.
Police said the vehicle will be sent to areas identified by residents of having a significant or emerging anti-social behaviour problem. This could include areas such as Sherwood, Bulwell town centre and Forest Recreation Ground, where the van was launched on Thursday, February 20.
READ MORE: Teenage boy seriously injured in Nottingham city centre stabbing, two others hurt
READ MORE: BBC Death in Paradise star announces exit as replacement arrives in Saint Marie
Footage collected by the van can also be viewed remotely from the force control room, allowing for real-time information to be passed to officers. Residents in Forest Fields had mixed opinions on the £130,000 project, which is mainly funded by a Home Office grant.
Lex Comber, who lives in Foxhall Road, said the project was a "symbol of how society is becoming". 'We've got cameras at the top of the street and dodgy stuff goes on but nobody does anything about it.
"It's a misdirection of resources. Why don't they put some police on the ground?," said the 59-year-old university lecturer.
'That's the real issue. It's a symbol of how society is becoming, it's a symbol of unwillingness to tackle problems on the ground. Kids aren't bothered about getting nicked so it's a deterrent to what? It's still not a solution.'
Mr Comber added: 'There's far too much CCTV already, you go to Germany and they're amazed at the amount of surveillance we have. It gives an image of security, but doesn't really do much to prevent crime other than something like shoplifting."
Dominic Pote, 48, was more open to the idea but said he would also rather see investment made elsewhere. 'I generally don't think surveillance is good, but the way things are maybe it's sometimes necessary. It's good if it leads to things being resolved and deters people from doing things," he said.
'In some ways, it's not a good sign. I'd rather have a presence of officers on the streets. I think you feel safe if you've got a good sense of community. I'd rather see investments in other places, rather than let's stick a camera there.
'We've had all sorts of things. We've had all sorts of things on this street, we've seen fights and people shouting at each other. We've had someone dump something with unknown objects in it and right on our door."
Rich Glover, a 57-year-old support worker, said it sounded like a good idea. 'If they can deal with the crime in the area then it's another string to their bow. Fly-tipping and stuff like that," he said.
'I'd feel assured. I'm sure if something like that was in the area they would be put at ease.'
Neighbourhood Inspector Paul Ferguson, who is responsible for getting the project off the ground, said: 'Residents want to feel safe in their neighbourhoods and shouldn't have to experience this type of behaviour where they live and work. That's why we are committed to sorting this problem out.
'With this new piece of equipment, there will be no place to hide. This new vehicle will not replace uniformed officers who will continue to patrol these areas. However, it provides us with a full picture of the area, allowing us to zoom in so we can capture a problem, sometimes before it occurs.
'This is also not a van that we will just leave in an area like a mobile CCTV camera. It will be occupied by specially trained officers who will be actively searching for offenders. We couldn't be clearer as a force. We won't tolerate ASB in our neighbourhoods."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Emergency workers to get greater protection from racial abuse in house calls
Emergency workers will be given greater protection from racial and religious abuse during house calls, the Home Office has announced. The Government said it would close an existing loophole that allows people to get away with racial and religious abuse towards police, fire and ambulance workers making house calls. The measures were tabled on Tuesday as amendments to the Government's Crime and Policing Bill. It is currently illegal to racially or religiously abuse anyone in public, but this does not extend to behaviour within a private home under the Public Order Act 1986. The gap was originally designed to ensure that laws allowing police to keep public spaces free from serious disorder did not overstep into private conversations held in homes. The Home Office said the law has left 'emergency workers vulnerable and unprotected to racial and religious-based abuse and harassment during house calls', and 'unable to hold the perpetrators to account for their behaviour'. The department added that 'reports of emergency workers being abused for their race or religion while in private homes have increased'. Under the change, those abusing emergency workers in any setting could face a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said emergency workers 'should never have to tolerate abuse due to their race or religion while simply doing their job'. Dame Diana added: 'By closing this loophole, we're sending a clear message that racial and religious abuse directed towards those who serve our communities will not be tolerated.' Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the new measures would 'crack down on perpetrators'. Mr Streeting added: 'Our emergency workers carry out lifesaving work every day and deserve to feel safe from violence or intimidation. 'Anyone who violates this core principle brings shame on themselves and will feel the full force of the law, wherever they are.' Andy Rhodes, director of the National Police Wellbeing Service, said the amendment would 'better protect officers and staff who are there to protect the public'. Mr Rhodes added: 'Sadly, the role they play means they can often be faced with some incredibly challenging and hostile situations, especially in private homes, and over time this can take a toll. 'The protection of our officers and staff is a clear priority for all police chiefs. Hate crime has a devastating impact on individual victims and racial and faith-based discrimination against officers or emergency workers cannot be tolerated in any form.' Minister for Fire Alex Norris said the Government 'stands firmly behind emergency service workers and will not tolerate abusive behaviour towards those risking their lives to keep us safe'.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman jailed for sharing baby monkey torture videos
A Scottish mother-of-two involved in a global monkey torture network has been jailed for more than two years. Natalie Herron, 39, from Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, joined online chat groups which encouraged torture of macaques by offenders based in Indonesia. Airdrie Sheriff Court heard how she became a group administrator for the network, which was exposed by a BBC investigation, and shared hundreds of images and videos of the abuse. The group paid for baby long-tailed macaques to be taken from their mothers in Indonesia before they were tortured and killed. WARNING: This article contains distressing details of animal torture. The acts of cruelty included crucifixion, machete attacks and one video that showed a baby monkey being dipped in boiling oil. The court heard how Herron had made contact online with Michael Macartney, the US-based ringleader of the network who used the alias "The Torture King". Global monkey torture ring exposed by BBC This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad. Investigators from the National Crime Agency alerted Police Scotland and a raid on Herron's home in 2022 discovered an iPhone with 1,084 images and videos of monkey torture. Investigators discovered 4,000 messages on a WhatsApp group which had been sent by Herron discussing torture and hatred of the animals. Messages included one that said: "I am shocked how easily the drill went through the skull, it was like butter." Another message read: "Trying to find a video where they will kill the mum and the babies watch." Herron was sentenced to two years and three months in prison. She had earlier admitted two charges of possessing and distributing obscene material, namely videos depicting animal torture, between October 2021 and September 2022 at her home address. She admitted a further charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by sending messages to various online and social media groups which described and promoted animal torture. The court was told she made payments to Macartney but she claimed it was not for the videos but to "help him". Members of the online group, who claimed they were angered at the monkeys destroying land in Indonesia, voted on proposed methods of torture. Nicky Matteo, defending, said: "In all the years I have been practising I have not seen a case like this. It has not been a pleasant experience. "She [Herron] has had horrific problems in life and she built up a connection with other group members. "She was trying to ingratiate herself with other members, it was a false sense of escapism. "She is no longer the person that was responsible for sending those messages. She recognises the severity of it." Sentencing Herron, Sheriff Derek Livingston said: "The fact you not only joined these groups but then helped to facilitate them only helped to increase the animals' suffering." The BBC investigation uncovered the network that began life on YouTube before it moved to private groups on the messaging app Telegram. Macartney, 51, was jailed last year after pleading guilty in the US state of Virginia to conspiracy to create and distribute animal cruelty videos. He was sentenced to three years and four months in jail. A month later, Adriana Orme, 56, from Upton-upon-Severn, and Holly Le Gresley, 37, from Kidderminster, were jailed after admitting being part of the global network. Police Scotland officers said it was one of the most horrific cases they had dealt with and the material was like nothing they had seen before. Det Sgt Karen Murray said: "This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK. "Thanks to the work of these organisations, Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals." She added: "This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable." Det Insp Mark Harrison, from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: "This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling. "The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others." Procurator fiscal Faye Cook said: "The videos and images that Natalie Herron bought and shared online are horrendous. "These animals were shown to be suffering extreme pain. This has been a distressing case for the prosecution team and police, but we have held Natalie Herron accountable. "Individuals involved in the distribution of graphic and obscene online content depicting violent torture should be forewarned that this behaviour is not only repellent, but is against the law and will be prosecuted." Anyone who has any concerns around such behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland. US ringleader in global monkey torture network sent to jail Women jailed over sadistic monkey torture videos
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Wife, 3 More Suspects Arrested After Husband's Honeymoon Murder
A woman suspected of murdering her husband during their honeymoon has turned herself in to police, the BBC reported. Authorities allege that Sonam Raghuvanshi, 25, hired professional hitmen to kill her husband, 30-year-old Raja Raghuvanshi, during their honeymoon to the Indian state of Meghalaya. Sonam and Raja, who were wed on May 11 'in a ceremony blessed by both families,' chose Meghalaya as a honeymoon spot because of its 'very beautiful valleys,' Raja's brother, Sachin Raghuvanshi, told the outlet."Their marriage was arranged four months back, and they were both happy and there had been no fights between the couple before or after marriage," Raja's second brother, Vipin Raghuvanshi, said. On May 24, four days after they departed for their trip, Sonam and Raja were reported missing. A feverish search undertaken by officials came to an end one week after it began when officers discovered Sonam's corpse at the bottom of a gorge. His throat had been slit, and he was missing his wallet, a chain, and a gold ring. Sonam remained missing until the morning of June 9, when she surrendered to authorities in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. At this time, police have identified her as 'the main suspect.'In addition to Sonam, three more suspects—all of whom hail from the couple's home state—were arrested Monday morning in surprise raids. "One person was picked up from Uttar Pradesh, and another two accused were apprehended from Indore. Sonam surrendered at the Nandganj police station and was subsequently arrested,' Director General of Meghalaya police Idashisha Nongrang explained. Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem announced at a press conference later on Monday that a fourth suspect had been apprehended. When asked by a reporter "whether Sonam was in an extra-marital relationship with one of the arrested men,' Syeim responded, "If you join the dots, then it would seem like it.'However, Sonam's father, Devi Singh, painted a different picture of events while maintaining his daughter is 'innocent.' He told ANI (via BBC) that Sonam 'somehow managed to escape her captors' and ran to "a dhaba [roadside eatery] in Ghazipur…where she borrowed a mobile phone and called her brother, who then called the police.' Vipin Raghuvanshi told reporters he would "not accept Sonam's involvement in the murder until she confessed,' but later revealed that police told him one of the arrested men worked with Sonam. "Only Sonam can clarify," he said. "If she's guilty, she should be punished."Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma promised there would be a "major breakthrough" in the case within the next week. This is a developing story. Check back here for 3 More Suspects Arrested After Husband's Honeymoon Murder first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025