POLICE are displaying the CCTV footage of rioters and looters they want to catch for all to see – right outside the shops they looted.
A van, with a giant display unit on the side, has been positioned outside Birmingham’s famous Bullring shopping centre for all to see. It will be displaying CCTV footage of the looters in one of Britain’s busiest shopping areas.
The ‘Digi-Van’, with a six-metre square display unit, is being driven around the city centre showing over 50 CCTV images of the wanted people between 7am and 7pm today/yesterday/FRIDAY and Saturday, it was also out in the city all day on Thursday.
The van was also positioned on one of the main roads into the city so that commuters would see the images on their way into work in the morning.
“This is the first time a van of this type has been used to display multiple images of people wanted by the police,” said Acting Detective Inspector Mark Rushton.
“We’ve already had a fantastic response to the public who have been calling the special information line or emailing us. We’ve taken over 500 calls which are helping us make arrests.
“Photographs of those wanted by us have appeared in the media but we are determined to use every means available to us to bring suspected offenders to justice.”
According to Chief Insp Rushton, witnesses have found it easier to approach officers in the city centre there and then with the pictures up on the screen than to call up and give their information.
“We’ve had an amazing response,” he said. “People have been coming up to us and saying they know they person, someone even told me they’d been standing next to them at the bus stop that morning.
“We’ve seen youths turn away in horror when they’ve recognised someone on the screen, and come up to us to tell us they know them but they were nervous to call the phone lines.”
It’s not the first time the display, provided by Media Displays Ltd, has been used in police appeals. It was used in the search for missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
West Midlands police, who were offered the screen by Media Displays, who contacted them when had realised it might be useful, have previously used it for burglary initiatives, but they say this is the first time it has been used to display suspects.
Anyone who recognises a suspect can ring the freephone number 0800 096 0095 or alternatively the local rate number 0207 158 0125. People can also e-mail: tellus@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk.
“six-metre square” or “six metre-square”? I think you meant the latter.
Brilliant idea – and great to see the footage being used in a positive and proactive way – hope more footage is used in this way. Dave