Garda Commissioner has approved the long-awaited CCTV scheme for Navan and 103 cameras operating in 33 locations in the town

The Garda Commissioner has approved the long awaited CCTV scheme for Navan, which will see 103 cameras operating in 33 locations in the town.

At a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week, councillors were told that the switching on of the cameras was now subject to the vetting of staff and the erection of signage.

The cameras include 32 PTZ cameras, capable of panning horizontally, tilting vertically, and zooming.

The system will be using a private network, rather than commercial broadband and is very expensive to roll out.

A video management system is located in the Town Hall in Watergate Street which feeds into the Garda station and a monitor wall in the town hall.

At a meeting of Navan Municipal Council last week, councillors heard that the backbone of the system was now constructed and when they want to add additional cameras, the system in place.

The council's traffic signal team, who look after the fibre network, have been "shoehorning" the system into any new roads projects.

The Gardai will be monitoring the system on a daily basis.

Garda authorisation for the system was signed off in January. All that remains now is vetting of staff and the council are waiting for clearance to come back. Signs have to be erected on every CCTV poll and on approach roads into the town notifying the public that CCTV is in use. Tenders have been sought for this.

Cllr Alan Lawes asked when they could expect the cameras be up and running.

"It has been talked about for a long time," he said.

Cllr Eddie Fennessy said studies show that where CCTV is introduced crime rates fall.

"The introduction of a network in Navan will be welcomed by businesses and communities across the town who have waited patiently for this announcement. The identification and prosecution of those who prey on the vulnerable and local businesses will be much easier now for the Gardaí and that is very welcome indeed.”

Cllr Yemi Adenuga said that having over 100 cameras will be a big improvement.

"What is the timeline for their activation? How do you decide which areas get cameras first? It is about whether the right places are being covered."

Cllr Emer Tóibin said the scheme was a long time coming. "There was negative push back over the changes at Convent Road, but we said there would be cameras and that brought some of the residents along with us. They suffered a good bit of anti-social behaviour over the years. It is important we are able to go back to them with a time-line."

She said there will be people that won't be happy with the cameras.

"They will feel they are being watched but I believe that it bring more good than anything else."

Cllr Francis Deane recalled that as chairman of the SPC for five years, at every meeting the question was asked "when the cameras be in action."

Cllr John Duffy said it was a very expensive system, but it was badly needed and it was great to see it.

The Mayor, Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons said every person in the town thinks their area is the most important and they needed to strike a balance, locate them where it benefits the most people. "When we knocking on doors during the last election, the big issues were speed, roads and safety on the streets. These cameras will be a great asset. We are all looking forward to when they are operational".