New CCTV cameras featuring panic buttons that people can press in an emergency are to be installed in Erewash thanks to investment by Angelique Foster, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
The Commissioner has funded six Wireless CCTV help point cameras at a cost of £72k to tackle Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), neighbourhood crime and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in the Ilkeston and Cotmanhay areas of Erewash.
The cameras are the latest safety resource to be funded by the Commissioner after she secured more than £1million from the Home Office's Safer Streets 4 Fund.
Working in partnership with the force and Erewash Borough Council, the Commissioner and her team have reviewed data to ensure the cameras are installed in areas where they will deliver maximum benefit to the public.
Unlike traditional CCTV, the cameras will allow anyone who feels vulnerable or threatened to speak directly to a camera operator. In the event of an emergency the force control room will manage the emergency response.
The cameras, which will be installed later in the year, will be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster said: "Anti-Social Behaviour, Neighbourhood Crime and Violence Against Women and Girls have a devastating impact on confidence and mental health, not just on the victims themselves but also the wider community.
"These crimes are key priorities in my Police and Crime Plan and investment in these pioneering cameras will help me deliver on my plans to build stronger and more resilient communities so we can prevent crime before it happens.
"It is crucial that local people feel safe in their homes and public spaces. More than six in 10 people in my original Erewash survey said they were worried about being a victim of Anti-Social Behaviour, with drug related behaviour another concern. These cameras will make it clear that those intent on causing harm are not tolerated in the area while giving residents the extra reassurance and peace of mind they deserve."
Following a successful bid to Round 4 of the Safer Streets Fund, the Commissioner was allocated £401,315 to reduce neighbourhood crime and ASB in the IIkeston Town and Cotmanhay village areas of Erewash.