1984 - Security Camera's even on farms

Hi Tim,

Hope you don’t mind my playing the devil’s advocate… but has anyone seriously considered the probable effect on staff morale of so many CCTV cameras on site? And one other point…I read an article recently about the massive amounts of electricity consumed by internet servers worldwide. How to address that on a local scale???

Kind regards

Hi XXXXXX

Thanks for bringing this up as its important and gives a chance to review..

Personally I dislike cameras totally - there are more than there are people in England sad that we have to have them here on site ... and still not crime free...still the fields ...

I am sure they are not a preferred option for most and if there was another viable way would be great

An additional reason to not have them is electric costs , huge maintenance costs, etc. (regarding electric consumption and local supplies this is another thing loads of people talk about but then wind turbine factories get closed. All the electric on this site comes from 100% renewable. I think the issue is where the electric comes from - ours is from company http://www.greenenergy.uk.com/Default.aspx if people bought their electric from companies like these then the impact would vanish in terms of fossil fuel use for electric. All personal and business electric is with these people who are in Herts.

The issue is security though, costs of theft and the suspicion and distrust and cost of crime... specifically...

• Crime - Goods stolen nearly everyday from pig stall everyday from Oct last year to march when I put a camera up... stopped I think. This was after reporting to police who took 2 months to investigate
• Crime - Two farm employees were caught on camera stealing mobile phones from a the T-Mobile container store, result not here, how much they stole before this is unknown this a couple of months back.
• Crime - A number of crimes of theft from MotivAction Offices even with camera's including cash and stuff from staff, break ins resulting in one - eight computers stolen despite cameras was a lot worse before though
• Crime - Concern yesterday I had rumours come back of one young girl boasting to friends in walkern that she had been taking cash and boasting to boys - we have no camera's or security at all in the Cafe / Store and sad as it might seem this will have to happen
• Crime - Anon phone call to us last week from person in parish to say X person was boasting about the free red diesel he has on tap here and has for years. Investigating with police now as to whether this was a malicious caller or some truth#
• Vandalism / Cattle Theft - First weekend cattle came, locked gate was pulled off its hinges with 4x4 and chain - no camera's so no evidence. Fellow red poll breeder had 19 steers stolen from his shed (on sandringham estate Norfolk) last month.
• Serious Crime - my guns were stolen a few years back and 3 other shooters from locked caars in walkern- we were followed all day and guns nicked from vehicles. We keep firearms on site at MA so prevention.
• Farm - over £1500 of tool theft in past year - despite cameras not detected
• Veg - need to ensure road gate is locked - there was rumour that stuff was taken from polytunnel earlier in year when no gate!
• Crimes - over the years we had 15 quads stolen over a five-year period, enhanced security incl camera has stopped this
• Children Young and Vulnerable people are on-site - Rural Care - security for them
• Children - I had a carpenter a few years back , turned out he had convictions and was battling paedophilia, nice guy, but he came to me when our children got to 1 & 4, to say he can't work here - too many temptations etc. Not many would of dome that. But it might of been because we asked for CRB checks... consider that 10% of the male population has been in prison then its not surprising there is so much crime etc.
• Safety - we have people working in offices and on-site 24hrs, at night some people find the fact there are lights and security cameras relieves fear of assault - fear not happened though
• Safety - if we had had camera's in the cafe first weekend then would have been able to play back to the drunk villager who came in stirring and slurring when pissed! I have had to speak to two customers quietly about behaviour already.

This is just a five minute braindump .

I don't really want me filmed or my children, but there is so much crime and undetected crimes sow suspicion and distrust and affect morale too so its a catch 22...

Would love it if someone could come up with an alternative in the light of this.

Best Wishes

Tim Waygood

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