Plans for Dundee shopkeepers to wear cameras to cut crime

Shopkeepers could be issued with miniature security cameras to reduce crime and racial abuse.

Dundee Community Safety Partnership is planning to fund the £1,500 pilot for the body-worn cameras.

Council director of leisure and communities Stewart Murdoch said: “The cameras would be a significant outlay for a small business and this allows them to try before they buy.”

Community safety manager Liz Kay said: “Essentially what we’re looking at is getting some of these cameras and lending them to small businesses.

“We want to get around six cameras and we would give them to businesses for two to four weeks. We think they could help with prevention and detection of shoplifting and racial harassment.”

The project is part of a £41,000 package councillors will be asked to approve on Monday.

Other funding is allocated for a needle exchange service for drug users, providing low-cost security measures such as peepholes and security chains to properties which have been broken into, and there are plans for diversionary activities for youths.