Delighted residents praise tower block CCTV (From Southend Standard)

Delighted residents praise Southend tower block CCTV

1:00pm Friday 18th January 2013 in News

DELIGHTED residents have welcomed the “remarkable improvement” at their tower blocks after a successful Echo campaign for change.

CCTV was installed at the four Queensway high-rises – Malvern, Chiltern, Pennine and Quantock - late last year following a year-long push by this paper.

Elated residents have now written to Southend Council and South Essex Homes to thank them for the £30,000 investment and praise the new “standard of cleanliness in the lifts”.

The letter added: “Residents now feel happier to use the lifts and more secure in the knowledge that any anti-social or criminal behaviour will be recorded to assist the police and other authorities in identifying those responsible.

“We, the residents of the Queensway estate, are very grateful to those who played a part in facilitating the installation of these video cameras.”

We launched our campaign for drastic improvements to help residents plagued by crime, drug dealing and antisocial behaviour after a grisly killing in November 2011.

The death of Christopher Ryan, killed at his flat in Malvern in a drugs robbery, left hundreds of residents fearing for their safety.

Lack of CCTV in lifts became the focal point of people’s concerns.

Lesley Salter, the Tory councillor responsible for housing, said: “We were happy to work with the residents and support their efforts to put forward a practical solution to a difficult problem.

“We are very pleased indeed that these CCTV cameras have already demonstrated such a positive effect.”

Anita McGinley, anti-social behaviour partnership manager for South Essex Homes, added: “This was one of the solutions identified by the community circle.

“The circle set out to identify the problems and put forward solutions and I am happy to say that a number have been put in place.

“I am very pleased to hear that the CCTV has made a difference to the residents and look forward to continuing to work with the members of the community circle.”