CCTV system upgrades due for two towns
Two Montgomeryshire towns will have their CCTV systems upgraded after a police force handed out a contract for the work
Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn committed to re-invest in CCTV systems in 17 towns throughout Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.
The force has completed a thorough procurement process and has awarded the contract for the work to Baydale Control Systems Ltd, with Newtown and Welshpool being part of the project.
The work will bring 116 state of the art CCTV cameras to towns identified as priority camera locations through crime analysis and stakeholder consultation.
The work will begin later this month, and Mr Llywelyn, said: “CCTV was a key election pledge of mine, and I promised I would invest in a modern CCTV infrastructure. I am very pleased to be able to say that this is now happening.
“It is vitally important that the force makes the best use of this significant reinvestment to target hotspots and drive reductions linked to disorder and violence.
“This rollout will not be the end of the force’s work in this area and future opportunities for camera sites will be considered.”
Work is scheduled to begin in Builth Wells on the second week of July, and the programme of works will be carried out over the coming months and is due for completion in Spring 2019.
Camera locations have been selected through careful mapping of hotspot crime and anti-social behaviour areas to fully maximise the benefits from each camera site.
The project is supported by the Welsh Government and the four local authorities.
Most of the existing cameras are owned by local authorities and town councils, and as part of the reinvestment project, and through agreement with the local authorities and councils, Dyfed-Powys Police will take ownership of 116 of those sites.
The cameras will bring high definition CCTV imagery to a central monitoring system at Police Headquarters. There will also be monitoring facilities at local stations allowing local officers to monitor their local cameras with the touch of a button. Officers will also be able to review CCTV on their mobile data devices.
Mark Collins, Dyfed-Powys Police Chief Constable, said: "The cameras themselves will be the latest technology, which will help Dyfed-Powys to remain one of the safest places to live, work and visit in the UK.
"I’m confident the system will prove to be an invaluable asset in preventing crime and responding to emerging incidents swiftly before they escalate. Evidence from the CCTV cameras will also no doubt prove an important investigative tool for officers.”
