'Super wardens' go on patrol

Alan Salter

May 23, 2007

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"Tony" the Traffic Warden with his CCTV headset

PRIVATELY-employed `super wardens' are to go on patrol in Greater Manchester wearing head-mounted video cameras.

The 20 parking attendants, who work for NCP Services, will be the first in the country to be issued with the equipment.

Their main role is to issue parking tickets but under legislation brought in last year they will also have powers to give on-the-spot fines for anti-social behaviour.

Salford council has asked the wardens to issue penalties up to £80 for offences which include littering, flyposting and allowing dogs to foul the pavement. NCP will use the film as evidence to back up their wardens if any fine is challenged and also in the event of any attack or abuse.

In some cases the footage could be handed to police and used in court.

The first wardens fitted with the RoboCop style cameras will go on patrol in Salford from the NCP HQ in Eccles next month.

The use of head-mounted cameras was piloted by British Transport Police in Manchester last year and Greater Manchester Police followed suit seven months ago in Little Hulton, Salford, when two officers began using them on the beat.

Local authorities were given greater powers to tackle anti social behaviour under the 2006 Clean Neighbourhoods Act and Salford is one of the first to take advantage of the legislation.

Coun Derek Antrobus said: "We have 20 parking attendants walking around the city and we decided that they might as well look at more than just cars. One of the biggest issues on people's minds is the disrespect that some are showing to our environment. The police have not got the resources when they are chasing criminals so this makes a lot of sense.

"We will be monitoring it very carefully and hopefully the residents of Salford will notice the difference."

NCP's James Pritchard said: "Salford council is very keen to do this and we told them that we were happy for our parking attendants to get involved but they would need a better way of getting evidence.

"The cameras will give a much better standard of evidence in case of disputes or assaults on the attendants.

"We are more than happy to work with the police and pass on any evidence we gather. It can only help them to have people out on the streets with a camera all the time.

"Our attendants do a very good job but they are not police officers and they have very specific powers. It makes the job more interesting."

What do you think of the cameras? Have your say.

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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

Superb (23/05/2007 at 13:09)

What a joke, so the driver again has to fund this hair brained scheme! with higher parking fees, and even less places to park for free, let alone even PARK! they need cameras for protection only as they are on a bonus and targets to get as many cars as they can booked, so no wonder they get upset drivers with their antics! When will everyone wake up and start fighting these idiots that run our councils etc, we pay more than enough in taxes to drive our cars already, Parking attendants are frustrated wannabe Police officers, or Robots with zero personality & NO LIFE! they then move on to work in the tax office! Amen

G Dumbarton (23/05/2007 at 13:29)

Authorities are targetting the everyman rather than real criminals. Salford is rife with drugs, assaults and gun crime yet the council shell out a fortune to target littering and dog muck - it's ridiculous!

The_umpire, Salford, Lancashire (23/05/2007 at 13:36)

OK, I know we have doorman and police officer with these cameras but they do need them, Parking attendents with the cameras will only show where their eyes are and on when they walking up and down the road.

next we will hearing that NCP will be disciplining their staff for not concentrating when a nubile young lady walks past the poor blighter and his eyes get diverted away from his job.

Joey, Ashton under Lyne, (23/05/2007 at 13:45)

"He's behind you!!!"

holsten, canada (23/05/2007 at 13:54)

Soon every Tom, Dick and Harry will be handing out fines and penalties.Let the wardens stick to parking tickets and let the Police do the job they are paid to do or should I say "supposed to do"?

Bobby (23/05/2007 at 15:32)

What do you expect from the Loony Labour who dominate Salford City Council.The poor souls who voted Labour in salford should have known better and you deserve all you get.

Dave Sherwood (23/05/2007 at 15:58)

Now that Wardens have camera's and we have community police support officers.lets sack the regular Police,we dont need them now.We can get the job done cheaper and we know unlike a policeman they are always around when you want one.

ace, manchester (23/05/2007 at 16:32)

The best brains that labour can get????What a joke .and people keep voting these clowns back into power.Just wait until one of these wardens gets his ticket punched.heehhee

Dave Pickup (23/05/2007 at 19:48)

Everything going on is designed to raise money for overpaid councillors,an overpopulation of town hall employees,for all of their pensions for early retirement but most of all,they want to control your every movement. Communist Russia/Red China embodied!
This clown with a big fat cigar behind his ear is the Robocop prototype. I suppose they have to provide employment for some of the semi-illiterate thugs leaving school. For furthur reading, see A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, a Mancunian who could see the future!

Mark,Radcliffe. (23/05/2007 at 21:20)

Fantastic idea..the camera will police the wardens...saves me having to photograph my car every time I park it Manchester..All the people who get a parking ticket henceforth,appeal it, and ask for the "privately employed Super Wardens " to provide you with the photographic evidence as you believe you were in the right...On second thoughts will continue to photograph my car in situ...We dont wont to bankrupt them do we !But it will also save their Supervisers monitoring them as they are stupidly doing themselves...

Joe (23/05/2007 at 21:46)

Have to have a laugh here. Comments like "Parking attendants are frustrated wannabe Police officers, or Robots with zero personality & NO LIFE! they then move on to work in the tax office! Amen " and "Just wait until one of these wardens gets his ticket punched.heehhee" makes me wonder who is being talked about. Thats aimed at Ace and also at superb. maybe you two should get your ickets pucnhed heheh or who is it, Suberb, who has zero personality. Seems you need to look in the mirror if you have one.

Jake Long, City Centre, Manchester (24/05/2007 at 00:01)

If everybody refuses to pay them then they will go bankrupt - end of problem!

I have not paid a parking ticket in years. I use the appeals service wherever possible and draw out the cases as much as possible to cause the maximum damage to their finances. If everybody did the same, decriminalised parking would collapse.

big cheese, partington, manchester (24/05/2007 at 00:15)

what a joke, we as one of the smaller countries in the world have more cctv in operation than anyone else, and now we have more. big brother is watching you. where has our freedom gone!!!!! is hitler running out country or what.......

be warned there will be no going back, whats the world coming too.

red (24/05/2007 at 02:56)

murder, rape, muggings, and we're worried about a bit of dog doo.

mancunian, australia (24/05/2007 at 02:57)

1984?

red (24/05/2007 at 02:59)

the best option is to videotape these goons themselves in action. see how much time they waste. and that goes for every one of those public sector shirkers.

Bejjy ex Salford now Malta (24/05/2007 at 10:24)

Talk about big brother, I'm just glad that I am well and truly out of it. The British as a nation are the most "watched" people in the world with CCTV cameras on every corner imaging each citizen numerous times each day. Now we have not only the police but traffic wardens walking around with cameras on their heads recording every move you make Talk about the state having total control over the individual (remember the KGB in the Soviet Bloc) but I fear that that is where Britain is heading.

ace, manchester (24/05/2007 at 10:37)

Once again the brains of Manchester city council? You all had the chance of getting rid of all these idiots ? But yet again you all voted them back.Will the british people never learn.........No wonder the government/councils do whatever they want and we follow. (Sheep)

Laddy The Gorton Rat, Gorton (24/05/2007 at 11:47)

What a Waste ! How stupid does that guy look with that on his head. Thinking of leaving this place myself !

big cheese, partington, manchester (24/05/2007 at 12:20)

i've got a idea why dont we all vote for the BNP!!!!!! let them have a go of sorting this country out, may they can make a differance

AH, Manchester (24/05/2007 at 12:54)

we've got more CCTV than anyone else in the world and there are STILL scum out there killing people and making people's life miserable - I don't think I need to say anymore - except wait for the parking attendent prankster vidoes to hit you tube in the forthcoming future.

marc (24/05/2007 at 19:54)

every time i see a red banded 'warden' or 'special officer' i feel the urge to shout 'get a real job!' i don't engage in anti-social behaviour, i don't litter and i don't park illegally and yet i have zero respect for these people. why? because they have no right to swan around as they do breaking the very laws they're supposed to uphold. come to longsight at any time of the day and you'll see these so called wardens loitering around on stockport road doing sweet FA, nipping round the back of buildings for a crafty fag (and, yes, chucking it on the floor) and generally just making people feel uncomfortable. wardens are the biggest waste of time and money i've had the misfortune to experience in manchester. why the hell can't there just be more bobbies on the beat? your average thug will think twice about misbehaving in front of a copper but not these clowns - the reason being that wardens only ever slap fines on teenage girls and old people. they simply don't have the training or the guts to tackle large groups of male youths (for example) or fully grown adult men. utter rubbish.

Stephanie Phillips (25/05/2007 at 12:49)

Guess these 'chancers' wont be able to chance giving you a ticket anymore to get their commission. The number of times I have had to write away to dispute mine is unbelievable. Always always double check. Dont trust them at all.

rsmits, Canada (25/05/2007 at 19:02)

Britain must be daft. It's 2007, not 1984, and Britain is quickly becoming the world leader in oppressive invasion of privacy.

TheGodSplinter, Merseyside (15/06/2007 at 20:23)

I believe that we ought to demand the right to never associate with "Civil Servants" (and other forms of servant) for as long as they have any type of camera aimed at us. I consider the use of a camera as a form of intimidation and pressure, and the presence of such voyeuristic instruments of 'e-harassment' as a just cause for us to refuse to even speak to these intrusive dismantlers of our privacy and dignity.

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