Cash before community

Published: 4 February 2010

• I WAS shocked to read of the death of Ethel Hall and then appalled that despite the presence of CCTV police had failed to apprehend the van driver  (Victim Ethel Hall dies but driver goes free, January 14).
Having lived locally for many years I am aware that the camera at the junction of Fortess Road and Lady Somerset Road only ever seems to point northwards.
As Farukh Adia said the priority would appear to be catching drivers in the ill-defined parking zone along this stretch of road, rather than monitoring the area generally.
Since this most unfortunate incident it might be assumed that a lesson had been learnt but, in the two weeks since reading about this, I have yet to see the gaze of the camera turned southwards.
This only serves to reinforce my long-held belief that the principal motivation for most surveillance is monetary rather than community safety.
Philip Grey
Burghley Road, NW5