GARNETHILL residents are making renewed pleas for CCTV by a park they claim has been a hot spot for crime and anti-social behaviour.

Petitions for CCTV in the area received more than 600 online signatures two years ago, however council bosses claim assessment of the site did not justify the video surveillance at the time.

However, the call for CCTV by Garnethill Park has only grown since the initial petition according to William Beckett of the Garnethill Neighbourhood Watch.

He said: “We need answers. Up to the present day the call for CCTV has got bigger within the actual community. In the past ten or twelve weeks or so we have a lot of issues in the park.”

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In recent months, one couple was robbed at gun and knifepoint in Garnethill Park and last week police were called to intervene when teenagers were seen drinking and becoming abusive to other park visitors, William claims.

Police Inspector for the area, Ross Kelly, said : ‘We are committed to dealing with all kinds of anti-social in our communities and we are aware of issues in the Garnethill area.

‘Youths were moved on after officers were called to Garnethill Park after reports of them loitering and consuming alcohol around 5pm on Friday, July 10.

‘I would continue to encourage anyone with any concerns regarding anti-social behaviour to contact Police Scotland on 101’.

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New petitions for CCTV which the neighbourhood watch hopes to start after lockdown, would only ask for two cameras, both positioned in the park, rather than four asked for by the previous petition.

A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of ongoing community concerns in the Garnethill area and have, for some time, supported police activity with the provision of mobile CCTV vans where possible.

“There are many factors which need to be considered before installing CCTV. We would need to carry out further site assessments and crime analysis of the area as well as a privacy impact as CCTV can raise concerns within the community around privacy.