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New Charter tenant Linda Hill uses Ryefield's TV technology
Older residents of four New Charter sheltered housing schemes in Ashton and Droylsden have been presented with cameras in time for Christmas.
But instead of scratching their heads at the instruction manuals and squinting at small print, residents can just switch on the TV to use the latest technology.
Thanks to the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, work completed this week has increased day and night surveillance cameras to dissuade bogus callers and sneak burglaries.
The locations – Birchfield, Leesfield and Ryefield in Ashton and Gardenfold House in Droylsden – provide generally safe homes for their elderly occupants. But analysis of police records of acquisitive crimes in a quarter mile radius of all sheltered housing showed the four as within neighbourhoods with most recorded crime.
Acquisitive crime, which includes burglaries, robberies and criminal damage, has fallen across the area. But the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership wants to see further improvement and has made the topic a key priority this year.
A bid from landlord New Charter Homes to the Tameside Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership secured almost £10,000 to deter crime and increase resident confidence. As well as cameras linked to central monitoring and door entry cameras linked to residents’ own TVs, some security gates have been installed. New Charter has funded the rest of the installation cost and will meet all running expenses.
Ryefield in the west end of Ashton is the largest of the four schemes and residents have already felt the difference. Linda Hill has lived there for just a few months, and from her armchair showed how the surveillance cameras record all visitors approaching and entering the building. She said: “Sometimes the fear of crime is greater than the level of actual crime. But the risk of being caught on camera is a deterrent to criminals posing as genuine visitors. There’s no such thing as ‘under cover of darkness’, either – these capture images clearly at night time. We all feel safer as a result.”
Managing Director of New Charter Homes Tony Powell said: “Everyone should feel safe at home. Although crime levels have fallen, some opportunists and sneaks deliberately target areas with high concentrations of elderly people. These measures are physical and emotional reassurance for our older residents.”
