§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces are now using closed circuit television and two-way receivers; how many are fully mechanised; and what action his Department is taking to speed the use of modern methods of crime prevention in provincial police forces.
§ Mr. George ThomasThere is no general use of closed circuit television, but it has been and is being tried out experimentally by a number of forces. As regards two-way radio sets, I would refer my hon. Friend to my reply to a Question by the hon. Member for Runcorn on 27th January. Mechanisation is a continuing process. The police service as a whole is much better equipped than it was only a few years ago, but there is still scope for further improvement. Police equipment is to be considered by one of the three working parties to be set up under the Police Advisory Board.
The Home Office Police Research and Planning Branch is paying close attention to modern methods of crime prevention and the ways in which they can be best used. 321 police officers from 118 forces in England and Wales have received training during the past three years at the Home Office Crime Prevention Training Courses, and a national crime prevention campaign, vigorously supported by provincial forces, is at present in progress.