“It is an indisputable fact that CCTV is having a positive impact on reducing crime rates,” said Peter Hawksworth, managing director of Siemens Building Technologies Security Systems. Our customers have the statistics to prove it. For example, rail operator First Capital Connect has seen a reduction of over 50 per cent in crime since taking over the operating franschise two years ago. The lower crime levels have been credited to a sophisticated video surveillance network.”
Mr Hawksworth goes on to explain the image quality and search benefits of the latest digital surveillance systems. “A complete town centre CCTV system can be managed through a single computer screen and images can be viewed from anywhere in the country, sharing vital information instantaneously.”
In Liverpool, for example, the operators at the City Watch control room are able to track live incidents via a specially designed video wall, with high quality images and a fully documented audit trail supported by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras. Arrests attributed to the system are said to be in the region of 30-35 a week, with up to 50 stolen cars a day being detected by ANPR cameras.