Islington Council are set to launch a brand new crime and disorder CCTV control room to monitor over 130 cameras around the borough.
The new control room will have five monitoring staff, who will watch the cameras 24 hours a day looking for criminal behaviours such as terrorism, drug dealing, fly posting of prostitute cards, prostitution, bag snatches, violence, antisocial behaviour and road traffic accidents.
Cllr Jyoti Vaja, executive member for housing and community safety said:
"Everyone now appreciates the value of CCTV both as a deterrent and for providing evidence for successful criminal prosecutions therefore I am delighted that this new facility will soon be available. We are increasing our capacity at the CCTV control room and have the capacity to expand further as required. The previous facility had been running at full capacity with technology that is nearly ten years old and there was an undoubted need to improve the operation.
Crime and disorder is one of residents' main concerns and we are keen to invest in areas such as this to make our streets safer."
The new site replaces the old Kings Cross control room that opened in 1997. Technology at the facility was in need of upgrading and the building could only accommodate two monitoring staff.
The new site also incorporates state of the art technology including touch screen monitors and digital image recording. Digital capture of images means that information can be shared with other enforcement agencies quickly and easily. In addition the facility will be fitted out with the new Police radio system (Airwave Radio) allowing easy communication between both sides.
Islington Council is working in partnership with the Metropolitan Police on the project who will also have a designated monitoring area in the new facility.
The control room will not only monitor the 60 existing crime and disorder cameras but will also incorporate a further 43 cameras at new locations later this year and will monitor the 27 dual purpose enforcement cameras on a 24/7 basis. There is also potential for further expansion as there is capacity for more cameras to be monitored from the site.
During the last year evidence from Islington cameras was made available to the police for court material on 63 occasions. Additionally, police attended on numerous other occasions following communications from the control room, which led to arrest or caution of the offender.
Notes for editor:
The existing control room evolved through a partnership between Islington Police and Camden Council and Islington Council but this is now defunct (referred to as the Kings Cross Partnership).
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Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008