Cameras at P Sports to discourage criminal activity

The level of car vandalism and break-ins is related to the drug dealing on the roof of P Sports’ car park. The residents of the adjacent Green Village and the car park users feel unsafe, says a TU Delft spokesperson. This criminal activity, she says, started three weeks ago. There have been problems with loitering youth and vandalism, and contact with the police for a while.

TU Delft’s G4S security guards have surveilled the parking area more intensively since the start of this academic year. The police have also done so last week. This has ‘not had the desirable effect’, reports the spokesperson. The police officers on patrol addressed loitering youth but did not catch any criminals in the act. Two mobile camera units – the types used by TU Delft to check that the corona restrictions are being complied with – were installed in strategic spots next to the car park on Friday 30 October in an attempt to put a halt to the problems.

The camera surveillance for the corona restrictions was stopped on the same day and the cameras removed. As stated earlier, this was only a temporary measure and it led to much questioning and discussions about privacy, even though the recordings were not saved. The images from P Sports will be saved though so that the police can check them should there be any more incidents. Initially, the cameras will be there for a month. They will be evaluated after three weeks.

To date, 10 police reports have been filed by car owners.