NEW CCTV cameras have been installed in several towns across Pembrokeshire to help combat crime.

Cameras are now live in Saundersfoot, Milford Haven, Haverfordwest, Tenby, Pembroke, Pembroke Dock while Narberth’s cameras are set to go live in the Spring.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Dyfed-Powys, Dafydd Llywelyn, has been determined to get the new cameras up and running since he was elected.

Over 150 state of the art HD CCTV cameras with 25x optical zoom and 360 degrees turning capability, have now been installed in 24 towns across the force area.

Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said: “I am really pleased that the CCTV project has come to fruition and is now completed. I am very grateful to see the force responding to the pledge I made to reintroduce a CCTV infrastructure in the Dyfed-Powys Police force area.

“It’s all about making sure our communities are as safe and secure as possible and it is very encouraging to see the positive impact the CCTV infrastructure, its centralised monitoring suite and our team of CCTV operators are having on policing throughout the force.”

Camera locations were identified by listening to community concerns matched with a review of crime pattern analysis.

This included analysing the towns’ crime data, the number of emergency and non-emergency calls for police service received, the level of reported anti-social behaviour and hate crime incidents.

The cameras are monitored from a suite located in the Force Communications Centre, where all emergency and less urgent calls for police support are received. The cameras are proactively monitored by a team of four CCTV Operators who are overseen by a CCTV Coordinator.

CCTV footage has already proven crucial evidence in police investigations. The quality of the footage has been so compelling, some suspects have pleaded guilty to the offences they were accused of.

Chief Constable Mark Collins said: “The new infrastructure and the monitoring team are an invaluable tool that we are already making good use of within the force.”