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| Leeds Community Safety CCTV provides and operates one of the largest camera networks in the country |
Leeds Community Safety CCTV provides and operates one of the largest CCTV camera networks in the country with a network of over 385 cameras, covering 240 square miles, helping to make Leeds city a safer place. Leeds Community Safety CCTV was the subject of the ‘CCTV Cities' programme on Channel 5 in 2008. Following a £1 million investment over the last 12 months, the CCTV section have developed a centre of excellence at their South Leeds location and their services will soon be merged with West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (Metro) for coordination of their 250 CCTV cameras covering West Yorkshire's bus stations.
The system includes both on-street public surveillance cameras and also operates two mobile CCTV vans. These vehicles can be called out to areas where they are needed and send images back to the main control room, from where they can be forwarded to the relevant authorities throughout the city. The system is already in use extensively by the police who have a continuous presence at the control room to track criminal activity providing valuable evidence to support rapid convictions and reduce the cost of police operations and the use of police time.
The Vemotion system includes both on-street public surveillance cameras and operates two mobile CCTV vans |
All cameras are linked back to the central control room where they are monitored in real time, 24 hours a day. This service has proven its value to the community. In the cold weather experienced earlier this year, a person was identified as being in distress monitored using a CCTV camera and the local emergency services called in to give assistance, preventing a possible death from hyperthermia. In another incident, operators alerted police to a man preparing to jump off one of Leeds' highest bridges. The police responded quickly and were able to drag the man back to safety.
The system has practical applications in monitoring areas known to be at risk for instance from fly tipping or vandalism providing potential savings of thousands of pounds to the local community.
The services available to other community groups in the Leeds area include the use of the existing camera images by other departments, the monitoring of key areas through the central control room facility and the deployment, monitoring and maintenance of new CCTV systems.
All CCTV personnel are security industry licensed (SIA) and the Centre of Excellence is being developed to include a training facility to accommodate all aspects of CCTV and security training courses.
Leeds Community Safety team are extending their expertise and will be moving into a new state-of-the-art CCTV Control Room soon.
