Bandon CCTV on hold ‘due to GDPR’

WEST Cork towns that have had CCTV cameras installed as part of community initiatives to tackle rural crime, are all GDPR-compliant, a senior garda has confirmed.

His comments followed recent reports that some town’s CCTV systems had to be taken down around the country, due to concerns over data protection rules which came into effect in 2018.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Chief Supt Cadogan of the Cork West garda division clarified the position in relation to local towns which already have CCTV systems up and running. The systems have proven very useful in crime detection and as a deterrent, in recent years.

‘Our CCTV community systems are compliant across the Cork West Division because they have gone through the process. The only one we are waiting on is Bandon, which still does not have CCTV. This was delayed by 12 months pending legislation, but should be ready by the middle of 2020 when 30 cameras will be in operation,’ said Chief Supt Cadogan.

‘We are fortunate in Bandon, though, that a lot of commercial premises have CCTV and that can be a help with any investigations that we carry out,’ he pointed out.

Meanwhile, a business woman in Bandon is calling for the speeding-up of the legislation so that  the town can finally get a community CCTV system in place.

Jacinta Warren, of Warren Allen Collections on Pearse Street made the call after a window in her popular gift shop and coffee shop was smashed during the last weekend of November.

‘This is the second time in a year that we have had a window smashed and it’s very frustrating that we have no CCTV to catch the culprits,’ Jacinta told The Southern Star.

‘As well as the inconvenience, and getting a supplier in to replace it, there’s also the issue of insurance and it’s also not very attractive to have a window smashed during the busy Christmas period.’

Jacinta said that the last time it happened it took gardaí almost eight months before they told her they had no culprit.

‘The legislation needs to be hurried up and our local politicians need to be pushing to get the cameras in as soon as possible,’ she added.

She also said she can count at least five other businesses in the town who have gone through the same inconvenience and expense of replacing windows due to mindless vandalism.

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