Westport full CCTV system finally up and running

UP AND RUNNING Cllr Christy Hyland pictured at the Fairgreen with one of the last CCTV cameras to be installed in Westport, completing a full service for the town. He is pictured with PJ Murphy (ADA Security Cameras, left), and Padraic Walsh (Head Of West Mayo Municipal District, right). Pic: Michael McLaughlin

Michael Duffy

BACK in 2010, a Circuit Court judge expressed concern that a busy tourist town like Westport did not have a fully operational CCTV system. Judge Raymond Groake made his comments in the Circuit Court after he was told there was no CCTV footage of a brawl that had taken place outside a nightclub, where it would have helped the prosecution to identify those involved.
But last week, after a long- running campaign, the last areas of the town without CCTV had their cameras turned on with ADA Security Cameras on hand to install the last of the state of the art cameras. These are now located on the Newport Road junction and the roundabout at the Fairgreen.
Last year, local Independent councillor Christy Hyland committed all of his €20,000 General Municipal Allocation (GMA) money to the CCTV project, to have phase two completed, and last week, in order to get the final phase up and running, Cllr Hyland decided to donate another €5,000 to get the project over the line.
“At last week’s meeting of the Westport Municipal District, our GMA allocations for 2018 were approved. My colleagues on the council have gone down the traditional route of helping our small community groups with funding, and I applaud them for that, but I have long held a deep desire to have a fully functioning CCTV system for all of Westport, and I am absolutely delighted after an eight-year campaign that this is now a reality.
“€5,000 was needed to get all the bills paid, and after consultation with engineer Tom McDonnell, I was happy to donate my GMA money to the project, and let ADA Security Cameras finish their installation work,” said Cllr Hyland, who added that all businesses in the town will benefit from this added level of security.
“The population of this town can treble every weekend and the businesses and the Gardaí deserve to have every help they can get to combat anti-social behaviour and petty crime.
Earlier this month, CCTV footage was used to help identify a burglar who had broken into a premises in the middle of Westport. The whole town is now covered by these state-of-the-art cameras and all our citizens can come into town and feel safer and more secure on our streets,” added Cllr Hyland.