CCTV cameras in Braintree town centre are called on to help investigate one crime a week, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.
The nine cameras operated by Braintree Council have been used to track suspects in 124 suspected violent and other crimes in the last two-and-a-half years.
But despite checks for evidence more than doubling in the last year, the council has still not spent £40,000 put aside in February 2014 to upgrade its systems.
The council does not monitor the cameras daily but does keep a handwritten log when workers check footage, with the vast majority of requests coming from police.
Last year, the number of checks more than doubled to 120, compared with just 53 in 2013.
See this week's Braintree Times for the full story.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here