Data has been supplied from an FOI request to Manchester City Council indicating that Manchester is one of the most surveyed cities in the UK.
The city possess a considerable number of CCTV cameras, especially in areas which see a high number of crime rates or public gatherings.
As well as numerous cameras being stationed at Metrolink stops throughout the city and neighbouring boroughs, the areas of Manchester that include the most camera coverage has been revealed as the A6 Corridor in Stockport and the Wilmslow Road Area, which also covers Rusholme, Fallowfield, Withington and Didsbury.
This area in particular covers several district centres that see large footfall due to high foot and vehicle traffic and activity from students and young people.
East and North Manchester respectively share similar numbers of surveillance equipment, in areas including Cheetham, Hapurhey, Bewick, Openshaw, Clayton, Moss Side and Ancoats.
These areas see high rates of crime and reports regarding general safety concerns, due to the numbers of schoolchildren and young people who frequent them.
Specifically, Moss Side has seen significant increases in surveillance cameras and neighbourhood watch schemes in the last five years, due to rising crime concerns.
Additionally, the city centre including Piccadilly Gardens, has a high concentration of cameras, in part due to its sheer volume of pedestrian traffic and commercial activity, but also due to the number of businesses and offices located there.
This number is sure to double in the upcoming weeks as the band Oasis return to the city for their greatly anticipated reunion tour. Upwards of 80,000 people are expected to attend the concert at Heaton Park, placing strain on public transport and hotels.
Claire Hutton, 39, is a mother whose children attend primary school in Sale, but commute from Piccadilly Gardens to reach there.
“Cameras being up in so many areas help make me and my kids feel safe. Even if they don’t prevent crime, they at least let people know if they report criminal damage they will be believed.
“I’ve had two nephews mugged at bus stops in the last year, and without retrieving the camera footage in the way police did, we’d never have been able to identify the men involved and ensure the kids were safe.”
Camera numbers and other methods of public surveillance have had to rise dramatically in the last two years in the North after a spate of worrying attacks, such as the Southport stabbings and rioting that followed, and the number of tram and vehicle collisions in the City Centre.
Paul White, Project Manager in Off Street Parking, responded to this request and commented,
“It is essential that people in Manchester feel safe and know that they will be supported should instances of crime occur.
The surveillance equipment is there for a reason, and everything is done to ensure they keep people safe.”
Feature image- Philippa Walton
Join the discussion