Imagine not being able to answer a set of fundamental questions.
- How many CCTV cameras do we manage?
- Where are they?
- What can they see?
- Where are they mounted?
- Who maintains and monitors them?
All fairly simple questions, but how many organisations can answer them quickly and accurately?
Salford City Council Community Safety Unit found themselves in a position where they couldn’t provide accurate responses to these questions and decided that it was time to do something about it.
The Salford CCTV Mapping system was conceived and born into a world that proved to be more than ready for the benefits that it brings.
Using the council’s existing public facing web mapping system as a template, an extranet application was developed which allows password controlled access to partner organisations interested in crime prevention, crime detection, CCTV network planning and improved partnership working.
The pre-requisites for the system were that; it would be simple to use, full of relevant and accurate data, available 24/7 and open to partners whilst being protected from the public.
An exercise was undertaken to accurately map the locations of all of Salford’s public open space monitoring cameras and determine their maximum fields of view in optimal conditions.
These were then mapped using geographic information systems (GIS) technology and integrated into a system which is populated with Ordnance Survey base mapping, aerial photography and other relevant data sets, including details of licensed premises, second hand goods dealers and prescription chemists.
Now populated with 357 CCTV cameras from across the city, including those under the control of partners including the University of Salford (with more to be included in subsequent phases), the newly launched system is already heavily used by both the council and several partners.
Training sessions have been delivered to partners to highlight the full benefits of the system and encourage future development opportunities.
Is there CCTV or not?
In terms of crime detection, the system allows analysts and officers to quickly identify whether an offence location, its access and escape routes, has CCTV coverage and allows them to identify the camera and monitoring station to contact with their enquiry.
This cuts down on requests where there is definitely no coverage, but also allows prompt responses due to their specific nature.
The speed of the enquiry also means that the CCTV Mapping system can be the first system to be consulted, rather than something which is ignored because it is too difficult, or too time consuming, to pursue.
Real time access to the system will allow control centres to communicate more effectively with the police, fire or other services able to determine whether a developing incident is within the view of a camera, identifying the number and control centre, and then requesting the cameras be trained on the incident to gather information.
Where dangerous incidents are developing, then the CCTV monitoring centres can assist in providing crucial information without endangering officers or the public on the ground.
With crime prevention, the system allows partners to advise the CCTV monitoring centres on where to direct and focus their cameras at specific times to detect crimes underway and also to deter criminals who know that they are being watched.
It also allows CCTV network planning, in that existing voids of coverage can be identified and, when analysed against crime hotspots, it can lead to the more effective deployment and monitoring of cameras.
Rather than deploy where the public outcry is the loudest, a more objective approach can be taken to place a valuable and expensive resource where it is most needed.
Integrating the system with the council’s planning portal allows us to pre-empt future difficulties arising from new developments and tree preservation orders, which may interfere with existing lines of transmission or fields of view.
Next step … the public’s own CCTV
A further development phase is about to be launched which will provide a publicly accessible internet where private organisations can upload details on their own CCTV installations,.
This will then be vetted for accuracy and merged with our existing system to create an accurate and detailed picture of all CCTV in Salford.
Enhancements are also planned whereby it will be able to calculate routes between linked crime locations and provide information on any cameras, which may be able to identify the offender, due to the route they could have taken.
In a short period of time, and for an investment of less than the cost of a single new pole mounted CCTV camera, the council have implemented a system which provides great benefit to itself and its partners, which aids in crime detection and which further benefits crime prevention and CCTV network planning.
Those who monitor the systems are benefiting from better quality and better informed requests, and those who need access to footage have a far better idea of where to look and the likely quality and availability of any footage.
Councillor David Lancaster, lead member for community safety at Salford City Council said: “This is an example of the innovative and forward thinking approaches which Salford and its partners takes to help tackle crime and disorder.
Invaluable everyday tool
“The speed of the system and the knowledge it gives officers is what makes it different from anything else used to investigate crimes.”
Inspector Andy Sutcliffe of Greater Manchester Police Salford Division said: “CCTV is an invaluable tool for everyday policing. It is used extensively to monitor public order offences, theft and assault, and images are often used to identify offenders and witnesses and as evidence in trials.
“This new system will help to speed up investigations, saving both police and court time, and should reassure the public that we are keeping a close eye on criminals.”