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Using trail cameras for security & to combat crime
Posted 02 Mar 2024
Trail cameras are increasingly being used for detecting and preventing crime in areas where traditional hard-wired CCTV systems are either too expensive, impractical or impossible through lack of mains power. The key features of being portable, weatherproof, wireless and battery operated mean trail cameras can easily be positioned in areas where there is an existing or potential problem of crime.
Fly Tipping
Fly-tipping in England had to be cleaned up 1.08 million times by local councils in 2022-23, the latest government figures reveal.
Clearing the largest illegal tips cost £13.2m, but the number of court fines dropped by 17%, raising just £785,000. The figures, do not put a value on all fly-tipping costs and only cover public land. But private landowners say the scale of countryside fly-tipping is forcing them to turn farms into "medieval forts". The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said fly-tipping on private land and fields is "going unrecorded on a mass scale", and that concrete blocks and security fencing were being used to keep out waste criminals.
The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said a recent survey estimated that two-thirds of farmers and landowners were affected by the fly-tipping of tonnes of household and commercial waste. Often hazardous chemicals and asbestos are dumped - endangering farm workers, walkers, wildlife, livestock and the environment.
Victoria Vyvyan, president of the CLA, said: "These fly-tipping figures barely scratch the surface of a crime that's blighting rural communities, with incidents on private land going unrecorded on a mass scale."
Statistics show that some of the worst hit areas include London which saw over 360,000 fly-tipping incidents in 2015 and the North West of England which saw 128,000 incidents in 2016/17. More than 850 new illegal waste sites were discovered by the Environment Agency in 2016-17. While an average of two illegal waste sites are
shut down every day, they continue to create severe problems for local communities and business as well as posing a risk
to key national infrastructure.
In January 2018, the government announced that new powers to tackle the serious problem of waste crime will be granted, and further action opened for consultation in a
crack-down on illegal sites, Environment Minister Therese Coffey announced following the recent launch of the 25 Year
Environment Plan.
Full press release available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-steps-to-tackle-illegal-waste-and-fly-tipping-announced
Case Studies
Couple ordered to pay a total of £1,200 after fly-tip near North Baddesley
A man and a woman from Southampton have been ordered to pay a total of £1,200 after admitting to fly-tipping waste near North Baddesley. On 10 May 2023, Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) received a report from a member of the public about a number of black bags dumped in a layby on Misslebrook Lane. When an officer visited the site, eight large black bin bags containing plasterboard were found. Images from the lane captured with covert cameras showed two people emptying the boot of their vehicle, throwing it into the layby and then driving away. A check of the registration plate led to Gurvinder Bhakar being invited to an interview under caution. He admitted to leaving the bags and identified the other person involved as his wife, Jyoti. Appearing at Southampton Magistrates Court on Friday 23 February 2024, Mr Bhakar was given a fine of £400 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £160 and costs of £400. Meanwhile a fine of £100, a victim surcharge of £40 and costs of £100 was given to Mrs Bhakar. Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, Councillor David Drew, said: “I’m delighted we have been able to achieve another really good result and would like to thank our teams for their hard work, and the member of the public for reporting this fly-tip to us. “It’s never okay to dump your waste in our beautiful borough and it is incredibly easy to dispose of it correctly.” |  |
Fly-tippers caught red-handed dumping rubbish in a country lane in Peterstone, Cardiff.
Two members of the same family who were caught dumping rubbish in a country lane have been found guilty of fly-tipping offences.
30-year-old Michael Doran and 29-year-old Johnny Doran were caught red-handed by a covert camera which had been hidden at the notorious fly-tipping spot.
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Despite the placement of two ‘No Fly-tipping’ signs at either end of Green Lane, the video clearly shows the duo dumping
a transit load of rubble and black bin bags. The camera had been placed there as part of local project led by Natural
Resources Wales that aims to tackle the issue of fly-tipping on the Gwent Levels.
Michael Doran pleaded guilty to a series of fly-tipping incidents and was fined £950 and sentenced to a Community Order.
Johnny Doran also pleaded guilty to the four offences and will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court later this month.
Fly-tipping on the Gwent Levels continues to have a huge impact on the local community and poses a threat to both wildlife and the natural landscape.
'The actions of these individuals show blatant disregard for the natural environment in Wales and we’re pleased to see that the enforcement work as part of our Black Spots to Bright Spots project has resulted in a number of successful prosecutions'. - Elinor Meloy, Black Spots to Bright Spots
Mitchell Cooper jailed for asbestos fly-tip at Lee Drive, Romsey
A MAN who fly-tipped 3.5 tonnes of asbestos and other waste in the Hampshire countryside has been jailed for 15 months. Mitchell
Cooper flouted environmental regulations by dumping a large green container full of asbestos, wood and car parts that spilled
out and blocked Lee Drive, Romsey. The road had to be closed for two days while council officers and a specialist
waste disposal company dealt with the incident.
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Appearing at Southampton Crown Court, Cooper was given an immediate custodial sentence. Nick Adams-King, deputy leader
of Test Valley Borough Council, said: “I’m very pleased Cooper has been given prison time for his selfish offences.
"Fly-tipping is an abhorrent crime but fly-tipping asbestos is particularly horrendous, given that it can be a dangerous substance.
"This road had to be closed for two days to allow specialists to clear this up, and the way in which this was fly-tipped in the first place reflects how little Cooper regards anyone else. “My thanks once again go to our officers who investigated this case and everyone who has played a part in ensuring Cooper was sufficiently punished for these crimes.
"I hope this shows anyone else who believes fly-tipping is the easy way out that it can land you in prison. It is not worth it, and we investigate every single incident that is reported to us.”
In January last year Cooper, 36, of Hillyfields, Nursling, was found guilty of five fly-tipping offences at three locations across Test Valley. Appearing at Southampton Magistrates' Court he was fined £20,000, as well as being ordered to pay costs of £2,882.75 and a victim surcharge of £190. Cooper was found guilty of fly-tipping at Toothill Road and Spaniards Lane in Romsey, and a scrap metal offence in Botley Road, North Baddesley. Speaking at the time Test Valley Borough Council leader Phil North said: "When we say fly-tipping is not acceptable and not worth the risk, we absolutely mean it. "I promised that Test Valley Borough Council investigates every single offence that takes place in our borough and that we will always seek to prosecute if we have enough evidence."
"Fly-tipping is an abhorrent crime but fly-tipping asbestos is particularly horrendous, given that it can be a dangerous substance.
"This road had to be closed for two days to allow specialists to clear this up, and the way in which this was fly-tipped in the first place reflects how little Cooper regards anyone else. “My thanks once again go to our officers who investigated this case and everyone who has played a part in ensuring Cooper was sufficiently punished for these crimes.
"I hope this shows anyone else who believes fly-tipping is the easy way out that it can land you in prison. It is not worth it, and we investigate every single incident that is reported to us.”
In January last year Cooper, 36, of Hillyfields, Nursling, was found guilty of five fly-tipping offences at three locations across Test Valley. Appearing at Southampton Magistrates' Court he was fined £20,000, as well as being ordered to pay costs of £2,882.75 and a victim surcharge of £190. Cooper was found guilty of fly-tipping at Toothill Road and Spaniards Lane in Romsey, and a scrap metal offence in Botley Road, North Baddesley. Speaking at the time Test Valley Borough Council leader Phil North said: "When we say fly-tipping is not acceptable and not worth the risk, we absolutely mean it. "I promised that Test Valley Borough Council investigates every single offence that takes place in our borough and that we will always seek to prosecute if we have enough evidence."
Fly-tipper fined for illegal dumping in Buckinghamshire
| High Wycombe magistrates court heard how Ahmeed Oluwaseun Aderibigbe had tried to dispose of the unwanted item illegally, but was caught on camera placed at Weasel Lane between Bletchley and Winslow. Buckinghamshire Council enforcement officers had placed a camera on the lane popular with cyclists, walkers and horse riders after it became a hotspot for occasional fly-tipping. | Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment Gareth Williams said: “Our enforcement team pays close attention to fly-tipping hotspots around the county and deploy cameras act as eyes and ears to catch criminals who decide to break the law and fly-tip in Buckinghamshire". "I hope this case serves as a warning to others, it is better to recycle lawfully than to pay nearly £2,000 to dump illegally. We will not tolerate fly-tipping in Buckinghamshire.” |  |
Fines of nearly £2,500 issued after three separate fly-tipping incidents in different parts of Test Valley.
During a routine visit by a Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) officer to a site near Broughton, on 24 November 2022, a large pile of garden waste was discovered dumped in the area. A covert camera had been placed there due to previous incidents, and a review of the footage showed a car making the deposit, with the registration plate clearly visible. This was found to be Michael Oakes, 69, from Broughton, who admitted depositing the waste following an interview under caution. Appearing at Southampton Magistrates on 18 August 2023, Oakes was given a fine of £1,213 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £492 and full costs of £643.95. Meanwhile, TVBC officers received a report of a fly tip consisting of four large black bags of household waste on a track known as Old Coach Road near Abbotts Ann on 27 April 2023. |  |
Material within the waste led officers to Elvis Stoica, who was sent a letter inviting him to an interview under caution. He failed to attend and a notice to assist with the investigation was then sent, which also had no response.
Appearing at Basingstoke Magistrates on 22 August 2023, Stoica was charged with failing to assist with an investigation and given a fine of £1,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £400 and total costs of £620.50.
Elsewhere, there was a failure to assist with an investigation following the discovery of a large amount of soil dumped in a car park in Amport on 26 January 2023.
TVBC received reports that the waste originated from a specific address where gardening work has been carried out.
Following two letters, officers calling at the property and a notice requesting Kerry Lemon to assist with the investigation, no response was received.
Lemon was issued with a £200 fine and ordered to pay to victim surcharge of £80 and full costs of £476 at Basingstoke Magistrates on 18 July 2023.
We have hand-picked a range of cameras that are ideal for monitoring of fly-tipping hotspots, click here to see the range.
Rural Crime
Every year rural crime costs millions of pounds and causes untold anxiety across the UK, last year (2016) rural crime cost the UK £39.2million. Although that’s down a little (4.3%) on the 2015 cost, initial figures
for the first half of 2017 suggest the downward trend isn’t going to last.
For this reason, Insurers and Police Rural Crime teams throughout the UK are now recommending that property owners in rural locations that have experienced crime or where there is potential should invest in these types of camera so that there is an increased chance of obtaining imagery, whether it be photographic or video that could aid in identifying and apprehending perpetrators.
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What is rural crime?
Any incident that occurs in a rural area because of its remote location including incidents such as theft or criminal damage in the following types of property, or property where there are:
Any incident that occurs in a rural area because of its remote location including incidents such as theft or criminal damage in the following types of property, or property where there are:
| Additional crime incidents that are likely to occur in rural areas are as follows:
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There are a number of websites that provide advice on protecting your land or property from rural crime, including:
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Case study - Theft from a rural construction site
Back in August 2014 we were contacted by a lady called Sandra from a small family-run construction company based in Kent. They were building a few homes in a rural area and had unfortunately been the victims of theft. Upon returning to the site one morning they had discovered that the unfinished houses had been entered and valuable tools and materials worth thousands of Pounds had been stolen. Fearful that the thieves would return, Sandra called and asked our advice on what sort of cameras might help catch any returning perpetrators.
We advised that one of our wireless/cellular cameras would not only capture a photo and video of any activity in the property but would also send a picture preview to her mobile phone and/or email address so that they could alert the Police. The camera was purchased, delivered the next day and with the help of our cellular camera expert - Ron provided over the
phone, the camera was set up in the property that evening.
| In the early hours of the following morning
the intruders returned! The camera triggered and Sandra received a notification via text message along with the picture
opposite. The Police were called and Sandra and her husband jumped in the car and raced to the scene arriving to find the
Police had apprehended the intruders! Upon searching the home addresses of the intruders all of the firm's tools and materials
were found and recovered. As you can imagine, Sandra was very happy with this outcome and contacted us the very next day: Hi Mike, I just wanted to say how great Ron was in helping me set up my camera. I brought the camera for security as we are
building 2 houses on a site about 10mins away from where we live. Ron made sure that the camera was set up
and running on site on Saturday. On Sunday morning at 4am an image from the camera was sent to my phone and showed
an intruder!! I called the police and my husband drove over to the site. The intruders were still there when the
police arrived. I have to say I am REALLY PLEASED I purchased the camera. This is the image I received, (typical hooded lout) There were actually 3 of them!! The police arrested them and after
searching their home found the tools they stole last time!!! That first break-in was why I purchased the camera.
At least now I can have some peace of mind with the camera set up on site. Thank you
Sandra |  |
| Since then we have sold dozens of similar cameras to individuals with various rural crime related requirements. Since then the sophistication of the cameras has increased dramatically with the latest cameras able to connect to the super fast 4G mobile network enabling the transmission of HD video clips. One of the market leaders in this type of equipment are Spypoint with their latest cameras offering the benefits of pre-configured, contract-free SIM cards, a secure web portal to access your images and a smartphone App to remotely control the cameras operation. |  |  |
