Islington Council has this week (Tues) launched a brand new crime and disorder CCTV control room with the capacity to monitor hundreds of cameras around the borough.
The new control room has space for up to five monitoring staff, who watch the cameras round the clock to spot street crime including drug-dealing, fly-posting of prostitute cards, bag snatchers, violent behaviour, prostitution or even acts of terrorism. In addition the monitoring staff also look out for incidents of antisocial behaviour and road traffic accidents.
The new site replaces the old King's Cross control room that opened in 1997, and brings the technology used right up to date, with state of the art monitoring and storage equipment.
The new site incorporates state of the art technology including touch screen monitors and digital image recording. As well as saving valuable space, the new systems means that live images of crime as it happens can be shared quickly and easily with other enforcement agencies.
The control room is also fitted with the new Metropolitan Police radio system (Airwave Radio), so that the CCTV control room staff and the police can communicate quickly and easily.
The new control room is an excellent example of joined up working, with the Islington Police having a base in the facility, so that they can carrying their own monitoring as well.
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.
The control room not only monitors the 70 existing crime and disorder cameras and the 26 dual purpose enforcement cameras but will also monitor a further 30 cameras at new locations later this year as part of a new £1m investment. There is also potential for further expansion as there is capacity for more cameras to be monitored from the site.
Cllr James Kempton, Leader of Islington Council said: "Fighting crime is everyone's business. This new CCTV centre is the council's latest anti-crime initiative. We can monitor the hundreds of cameras already in Islington and we will be making a further £1million investment in extra cameras this year."
Cllr Marisha Ray, Executive Member for Community Safety added: "I am delighted to be launching this new control room. It means that together with our partners we can co-ordinate our resources to ensure that Islington streets are as safe as possible.
"The facility will be manned round the clock, and this will be of huge benefit to the police, who already do an excellent job in their efforts to catch those committing crime. CCTV often plays a part in bringing those involved in such activities to book, and this new control room, together with the new cameras being rolled out across the borough, show that we are serious about stamping out anti-social behaviour and crime on Islington's streets."
Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008