A new £4m investment will help catch criminals, support vulnerable residents and deter law breakers across Tower Hamlets.
Tower Hamlets Council is investing £895,000 to ensure the CCTV Command and Control Centre has the latest equipment including a bespoke, state of the art LED Video Wall Display Unit capable of monitoring 42 cameras at any time.
All 350 street-based cameras have been upgraded from analogue to digital, improving the image quality and zoom function and to help track and catch those suspected of being involved in crime.
The network equipment and infrastructure has also been upgraded to support the new cameras. The work has been carried out in phases, and was completed in April 2024.
Since April 2022, the council’s CCTV operators have helped in 403 arrests, including 21 wanted individuals and 102 for violence-related offences. They have also helped find 29 missing people since April 2022.
The CCTV operators work closely with the Met Police, sharing 1,546 images or information with the police.
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said:
“Tower Hamlets is largely a safe place to live, work and visit, but like all London boroughs we are not immune to criminals.
“This £3.9m upgrade of our CCTV cameras and operations centre is vital in making Tower Hamlets safer – one of the council’s key priorities.”
Cllr Abu Talha Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said:
“The council works closely with the police and other partners to ensure all our residents and visitors are kept as safe as possible.
“Our CCTV cameras are monitored 24 hours every day, so we have an extensive network to stop those involved in theft, vehicle theft, drug or traffic offences, anti-social behaviour, terrorism or environmental crime.”
Detective Superintendent Vicky Tunstall said: “We are very fortunate to have an exceptionally close relationship with our partners at Tower Hamlets Council and it is through this joint working that we see the dividends of combined and increased resourcing, joint objectives and shared expertise.
“A key element of ensuring community safety for our residents and communities is to provide a first class CCTV network across the borough to identify and locate those who impact negatively on the safety of our residents, businesses and the wider community.
“I welcome this new CCTV infrastructure and regard it as a key tool in maintaining public safety.”
Posted on Friday 10th May 2024