London Assembly Member for Bexley and Bromley, Thomas Turrell AM, has launched an attack on the Mayor of London after it was revealed that the Metropolitan Police Service is not currently able to access live ULEZ camera footage when it comes to tackling crimes such as car theft in the capital.
Mr Turrell, who is also the Conservative Group Spokesman on Transport, first raised the issue with the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan in October at Mayor’s Question Time. Citing the prevalence of car theft in London - a city that features in multiple places on the top ten car theft hotspots nationally - Mr Turrell asked the Mayor about whether or not the ULEZ cameras, which have been installed across the city as part of the recent expansion, could be used to track stolen vehicles.
In a letter from the Deputy Mayor for Police & Crime, Kaya Comer-Schwartz, to Mr Turrell, the Deputy Mayor stated that the Met Police do not currently have access to any data from the Road User Charging (RUC) ULEZ cameras, despite having access to the Congestion Charge ones. It is not clear from the Deputy Mayor’s correspondence whether Sir Sadiq intends to extend automatic access to these cameras to the Met Police.
With 4,400 ULEZ cameras tendered for in London, road surveillance in the capital is almost at totality. These cameras, Mr Turrell says, could help track down and recover many of the estimated 34,000 cars that are stolen in London each year. Mr Turrell also claims that the use of the cameras live feed, and AI technology can also help dismantle criminal networks using car theft to fund other more dangerous crimes across the capital.
Thomas Turrell AM, City Hall Conservatives Transport Spokesman said:
“If the cameras can used to tax drivers, they can and should be used to cut crime. News like this will stick in the minds of Londoners when the Mayor tells them that he is doing everything he can to tackle car theft. It is patently false to say that more cannot be done, and I am deeply disappointed that this simple solution has not been taken up by the Mayor or his Deputies. Car theft affects thousands of Londoners every year, depriving them of the means of getting around our city at the cost of their time, money, and convenience. It’s shameful that these cameras will not be used to solve crimes, and I will be campaigning for a change in policy. Now more than ever, it is nakedly clear that the Mayor is happy to use these cameras when it comes to bleeding Londoners dry with taxes, but not for helping Londoners recover their stolen property.”
