CCTV network in Hammersmith & Fulham biggest in the UK
The CCTV network of Hammersmith & Fulham has seen a £5.4 million investment, growing to nearly 2,000 cameras over the last two years. It’s the densest network anywhere in the country, which the council says will help “to make H&F a safer, kinder, stronger borough every day.”
“The work between the Met and H&F to address crime and anti-social behaviour is an essential and valued partnership,” Met Police Chief Inspector Thomas Orchard said. “With H&F’s investment in CCTV we all benefit from a great network and vast coverage with experienced officers working side-by-side.”
The cameras are focused on anti-social behaviour, noise and fly-tipping hotspots, which are actively monitored by trained CCTV operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Now, their reach has expanded even further across west London with an agreement with Westminster City Council.
In the partnership deal, H&F officers are now monitoring 100 new cameras in residential areas across Westminster. The new cameras were funded by Westminster at no cost to H&F taxpayers.
“Keeping residents safe is a key priority for us at H&F,” said Cllr Rebecca Harvey, H&F Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Community Safety. “Our pioneering CCTV network means we can prevent and tackle crime across borough boundaries.”
The deal, H&F council says, allows a greater ability to invest in the borough’s own CCTV network while also helping the Met Police respond to crime and anti-social behaviour reports over a wider area in West London.
CCTV footage has helped police arrest hundreds of people committing crimes. The borough says that it continues to lead the charge, having invested more than £8m in community safety initiatives last year hoping to ensure that it is “a safer, stronger, kinder borough to live in, work and visit.”
