Paul Varnsverry has a strong working relationship with the Police at all levels and is a specialist technical advisor to an Association of Chief Police Officers committee, as well as chairman of the British Standards committee responsible for police protective equipment.

A matter of weeks after accusing Liberal Democrats of “scaremongering”, when genuine concerns were raised at the adverse effects the Conservative’s switching off street lights could have on the effectiveness of the town’s CCTV network, the Conservatives are now proposing to axe an undisclosed number of cameras; ending those cameras’ deterrent and detection role.
 
This follows an assurance in August that there were “no plans to reduce the number of cameras in Northampton” and a pledge in September that the Conservatives were “committed to making Northampton a great place to live and work and our CCTV system has a significant part to play in making our community safer”. Quite simply, the Tories have failed to keep their promises. The leaders of the Conservative groups on both the borough and county councils have been less than honest with the public.
 
The street light switch off, proposals to axe funding for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and now plans to switch off CCTV cameras are merely the latest in a long line of failures by the Tories to support schemes which contribute to community safety. In 2005, they withdrew from the Area Partnership schemes and in 2009 the county Tories cut their funding for two Neighbourhood Coordinators who were each serving areas of deprivation.
 
All are clear evidence that the Conservatives have absolutely no commitment to public safety whatsoever.
 
The cost to the citizens of Northampton of operating the town’s multiple award-winning CCTV system is less than £1 per head per year. Reports in and letters to the local newspapers reveal the extent of public support for both CCTV cameras and PCSOs for the peace of mind they provide. The indications are clear: the public wants to see the number of operational cameras maintained or even increased, not reduced, and public support for the hard-working PCSOs is equally as strong!
 
The Liberal Democrats maintained funding for PCSOs and CCTV cameras despite prevailing economic conditions far more severe than those which the present Conservative administration faces – and left the borough council’s finances in an incomparably better condition than the depleted reserves and state of chaos we inherited from the previous Conservative administration. Have the Conservatives already mismanaged the council’s accounts and returned to their “world’s worst council” standards?
 
After just seven months in office, the Tories are fast proving they have learned nothing since they were deemed “the world’s worst council.” Frighteningly, it appears whatever the county Conservatives do today, the town Tories whom they view as their underlings slavishly follow tomorrow.

Both town and county deserve better!