The CCTV system that covers Newquay and St Austell monitored its highest number of live incidents ever in 2023.

Newquay Town Council CCTV Service recorded a total of 4,354 live occurrences in Newquay and 1,387 in St Austell, which compared to 2,199 in Newquay and 515 in St Austell in 2022.

The award-winning service works in partnership with Devon and Cornwall Police to improve community safety, to prevent and/or detect crime and to help to reduce the fear of crime. 

The CCTV Service supported local law enforcement by monitoring 233 live arrests in Newquay in 2013 and 82 in St Austell in 2023, up from 199 and 42 in 2022 respectively. 

The police also submitted 195 Authorisation to View requests to the CCTV team for Newquay and 113 for St Austell. These requests involve the review of footage by the CCTV team to provide essential evidence for ongoing investigations. 

A spokesperson for Newquay Town Council said: “We are delighted to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding efforts of its dedicated CCTV operatives in safeguarding the wellbeing of our residents. 

“We encourage residents to remain vigilant and cooperative, working together with the Newquay Town Council and the CCTV team to ensure the continued safety of Newquay and St Austell.”

Newquay Police Inspector Guy Blackford added: “Newquay CCTV has played a valuable part in helping the police make the town one of the safest places to live in the country. Through our close working relationship, the CCTV Operatives work as part of our team and are highly valued by officers in the work they do. The CCTV provision and quality of the footage is outstanding and provides excellent evidence for evidential purposes.”

Councillor Dave Cheney, the chair of the community and tourism Committee, said: “In Newquay we have arguably the best and most effective CCTV coverage in Cornwall. 

“We have had some impressive statistics leading to numerous incidents being either prevented from occurring or arrests being made, both here and in St Austell. We are fortunate to have a dedicated team, such as we have, working in the control room.”