“Temporary camera surveillance responds to incidents. The incident has already taken place. I am not saying that permanent camera surveillance is everything, but it does help in a sense of safety and the preventive feeling,” says Mayor Cees Bijl. And that is why he argues for cameras in the city center of Meppel.
The discussion about permanent camera surveillance in Meppel was completely flared up after three robberies in a short time in the city center, early this year. Bijl then decided to temporarily place cameras in the streets where these stores are. A 31-year-old Meppeler was arrested later and since then there are no more robberies.
It means that in politics not everyone is in favor of permanent cameras in the city. “I miss the necessity for cameras,” Anouk de Vlieg responds on behalf of GroenLinks. “It’s a violation of the privacy of all of us.” She points out that crime in Meppel has fallen in recent years.
Since Corona, the number of shoplifting in the center has increased, but it has been declining for ten years. Other forms of crime in the city center are also declining. For example, the police hardly register any drug trafficking or pickpocketing.
De Vlieg is supported by coalition party D66 and from opposition party SP. The other two parties in the coalition, Sterk Meppel and VVD, feel something for permanent cameras in the city. For Sterk Meppel, that means a change. The current largest party in local politics was always against cameras in the city. In her election program, the party emphasized that again.
“Times change,” responds Eduard Annen party leader. “The current situation forces us to look at this again. That is why we are now in favor of it, provided there are strict demands on privacy. Safety and privacy must go hand in hand.”
He sees that safety in the city is “under pressure”. Among other things, he points to the robberies, but also to nuisance in the hospitality industry, mainly on Saturday evening. “Nobody should feel unsafe in the city center, nowhere in Meppel.”
He wants cameras to become part of a larger package with, among other things, extra enforcement or collaboration with entrepreneurs. “Cameras are not a panacea. Let’s be honest: cameras can be an important remedy in crime investigation. That recently saw that in Assen,” he refers to the art robbery, where three suspects were arrested a few days after the robbery.
Mayor Cees Bijl finds it remarkable that the parties that are against placing cameras do want more deployment of the police or boas in the city. “Why do we accept that we let more people look physically. But if they look at it through a camera screen, we look at it differently. The police will look at the camera images, or it will happen under the responsibility of the police. And it really doesn’t happen 24 hours a day, that’s a bit exaggerated. It’s about having better visibility what happened so that we can maintain it.”
The city council will talk about camera surveillance at a later time. When that is is not yet known. The Meppeler Handelsvereniging has been arguing for permanent camera surveillance.