Dover District Council has completed a £450,000 upgrade of its CCTV system, including the installation of 57 high-definition digital cameras and a new state-of-the-art control room.
The capital investment extends CCTV coverage across the district, including the Market Square in Aylesham. New staffing arrangements mean that CCTV is now monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The new digital cameras provide enhanced image quality and also feature automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology. The infrastructure enables further investment to support the introduction of town centre Wi-Fi.
The work was completed despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 as the Council prioritised support for the most vulnerable residents through its Community Hub.
Contractors, Eurovia Infrastructure Ltd, followed social distancing guidelines to complete the installation of the new cameras and associated infrastructure.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “Now more than ever, we appreciate the value of our local high streets. CCTV is a key part of our community infrastructure, providing confidence to residents and visitors.
“As well as providing invaluable support to the police, CCTV plays an important role in community safety. From helping those most at risk, such as missing and vulnerable people, to monitoring local footfall and traffic congestion, CCTV can help us all feel safer.
“We’re committed to investing in our town centres to equip them for the future. As part of the next phase, we’ll be looking to see how we can use this new infrastructure to introduce free town centre Wi-Fi.”
Chief Superintendent Nigel Brookes of Kent Police, said: “We’ve always enjoyed an excellent working relationship with DDC, and we’re delighted to see this major investment in CCTV with all that it brings in terms of enhanced coverage and image quality.
“CCTV provides confidence for local people and plays a key role in preventing and detecting crime, as well as supporting a wide variety of community safety initiatives.”
John Angell, proprietor of John Angell Jewellers in Dover, said: “As a business owner it is great to see the investment that DDC has put into the new state of the art CCTV system throughout the district to continue to make our town centres, safe, open and welcoming to visitors and residents alike.”
Posted on 29 June 2020