Calls For More City Centre CCTV

Following a weekend during which 36 people were arrested in Belfast city centre, the PSNI has outlined plans to tackle street crime.

After several statements condemning a recent slew of violent incidents including the rape of a 14 year-old girl near the Waterfront Hall, Belfast Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers called for CCTV coverage to be extended to the Lanyon Place area around the Waterfront.

The PSNI also issued a statement yesterday saying it was totally committed to making the city a safer place.

It said: “A bank of 32 CCTV screens in the control room use the latest night-thermal imaging to scan the entire south of the city with an additional 20 screens in east Belfast.

“CCTV forms a vital part in any police investigation and is being used in the investigations into recent incidents in the Lanyon Place area of the city.”

Recent attacks in the city have also included a 23 year-old man killed outside the Skye nightclub last weekend, and a teenager jumping from a 20 feet high footbridge in Belfast to escape a gang of attackers.

The present spate of criminality comes on the heels of a report by the Courts Service stating rape cases dealt with in the Central Criminal Court was reportedly up 26% last year.

Reports this morning also say the Courts Service's forthcoming annual report will also show that the number of murder cases was also up 18% compared to 2006.

A total of 116 cases were filed with the court in 2007, while 123 cases were disposed of during the year.

See: Rape Statistics Show Dramatic Rise

and: Skye Murder Victim Named

(DW)