Taking Control of Community Safety

A £650k investment into a new state-of-the-art CCTV control room will help keep South Tyneside's streets safer.

The new facility will feature wall-to-wall monitors with a mapping tool allowing staff to view cameras across the borough and manage incidents more quickly and effectively.

The new technology integrates multiple council systems, including 300 borough-wide cameras, concierge systems in residential accommodation blocks and fire alarms.

As well as helping to detect crime and anti-social behaviour, the system will enhance event safety and security, identify fly-tippers, assist with Shop Watch schemes and support partners in incidents such as traffic collisions.

This week is Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, when the council will be working along with its partners to highlight the work it does all-year-round to create safe communities.

Cllr Jim Foreman, Lead Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: "CCTV is a vital tool in keeping our residents and visitors safe.

"The new control room will not only help detect and deter crime and anti-social behaviour, it will also allow us to more clearly monitor and manage events in real time and assist the emergency services and other partners.

"The existing CCTV infrastructure was outdated and in need of an upgrade; the new system will provide the most up-to-date, reliable video technology that will allow staff to handle and run reports on multiple council systems at once.

"This significant investment complements the recent upgrade from analogue to digital technology for ten of our CCTV cameras."

The new control room, which will be housed in vacant space within an existing council building, will be equipped with three four-monitor workstations, a two-monitor review station and a wall featuring 12 55-inch monitors which up to three operatives can use simultaneously.

The upgrade is being delivered by integrated solutions provider, North.