A CCTV system that has been the centre of national news coverage – some expressing “surveillance society” concerns – has been hugely successful, says supplier, Complus Teltronic.
The “talking cameras” system in Middlesbrough town centre has received much national press and broadcast coverage. It has been so successful that the Home Office is reported to have earmarked GB pound 500,000 to fund similar systems.
Complus Teltronic said the project requirement was to provide a public address facility that could be integrated with the existing CCTV network in Middlesbrough town centre.
The installed system enables CCTV operators to speak directly to the public – for example requesting people to pick up litter they have dropped. It is also used for public safety and crime prevention, for example to warn people they are being watched on CCTV.
An existing system from Complus Teltronic was already in place in the town consisting of safety help points in the centre car parks and the central bus station. These are linked to the CCTV control room on analogue fibre circuits.
The town centre has cameras mounted on poles throughout.
In the new project a PA system was retrofitted to the existing intercom system and the PA loudspeakers were fitted to the camera poles. These were connected to a local amplifier located within the fibre termination equipment housing.
Originally, the amplifier was linked over the existing analogue circuit of the camera fibre to a GE200 intercom server in the CCTV control room. However, at the request of Middlesbrough Borough Council, this was upgraded to a higher capacity GE700 model, capable of future expansion.
Says Complus Teltronic “The trials at Middlesbrough have been hugely successful. They have been widely reported in the national daily press and on numerous TV stations. Furthermore, the Home Secretary, Dr John Reid, has spoken of a national roll out of the system.”
Although there have been some concerns expressed in the national press that the concept of talking cameras was over-intrusive and that the cameras should not be a substitute for police presence on the streets, they have generally been welcomed as an effective way to curb anti-social behaviour.
The Home Secretary is reported to have said the vast majority of the public in Middlesbrough were in favour of the system.
ACPO also supported the system because it increases the effectiveness of town centre CCTV, allowing the operator to intervene and let people know their anti-social behaviour has been spotted and is being recorded.
Talking camera systems using Complus Teltronic PA equipment have also been installed in West Bromwich Town Centre and by Redbridge Borough Council.
Installation and networking of PA and help points at Middlesbrough was carried out by Initial Electronic Security.
