Barnet Council has unveiled its upgraded Colindale CCTV control room, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, in hopes to boost community safety efforts in the borough.
The newly launched control room, a key component of Barnet’s Strategic CCTV Improvement Program, offers enhanced monitoring capabilities, operating 24/7, 365 days a year.
The new control room marks a substantial increase in surveillance capacity, with the number of cameras in the borough skyrocketing from 127 to 823.
Trained CCTV operatives in the control room are not limited to crime monitoring; they are also vigilant about identifying and reporting situations involving vulnerable individuals.
A notable feature of the new system is the deployment of re-deployable cameras. These adaptable units can be strategically moved to specific locations for temporary periods, allowing the council to respond swiftly to emerging issues in targeted areas. This agile approach enhances the council’s ability to address evolving community safety concerns effectively.
Cllr Sara Conway, Barnet’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Participation at Barnet Council, said: “Community safety is one of our top priorities and we’re delivering on that by investing far more in CCTV than ever before to transform the service.
“Over the last year, we’ve invested £2.3m upgrading, expanding and improving our CCTV network.
“We’ve launched a new state-of-the-art system which will have 823 images in 229 locations and a 24-hour monitoring service located in the Borough to help keep residents safer.”
Part of Barnet’s community safety strategy includes improved collaboration with the Police and partners in the community, to bring more safety to the borough’s neighbourhoods.
Barnet Neighbourhood Superintendent, Lorraine Busby-McVey, said: “Having high-quality modern CCTV cameras in an area helps us to positively identify criminals who are caught in the act of committing offences.
“The more offenders we catch the more others will avoid the risk of being caught. The footage can also be stored for long periods and is used as evidence in court to help convict offenders.
“I am delighted that we have such good quality CCTV available in Barnet and I know that this will reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in this area and will help residents, visitors and commuters feel safer.”
