Bath and North East Somerset Council says it has used innovative technology to extend and upgrade its CCTV network, enabling better monitoring of public spaces.
The CCTV cameras on the public space network are vital for crime prevention, detection and public safety.
The Council used Fabric Connect technology developed by Avaya, a global leader in business communications software, systems and services. The improved system now has the built-in capacity and reliability needed to run both the public safety and traffic camera networks 24/7.
Previously, ninety analogue cameras were connected to a single central control room, with twelve display screens.
To view images from different cameras, cables had to be manually plugged and unplugged. The upgrade to the network has cost £7,000, which is used to view all of the cameras across the B&NES area.
Cllr Martin Veal (Conservative, Bathavon North), Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “This cutting-edge technology means we can better monitor our public spaces. Picture quality has been improved, and the system is now far more flexible and easy to manage, helping us to detect, monitor, follow and potentially prevent crime and keep the public safe.”
The first test of the new system was during the Bath Half Marathon in March. Race organisers used the cameras to monitor participant and spectator safety from a single device that can connect anywhere on the network – not just from the control room.
With the CCTV cameras successfully integrated into the Fabric Connect network, Bath and North East Somerset Council is now looking into incorporating additional software and devices to extend the network further, to maximise value from its initial investment.
Martin Snellgrove, Consulting Director, Avaya Professional Services, Europe, said: “Avaya Fabric Connect has expanded the network capability of Bath and North East Somerset Council enormously. The CCTV upgrade is just one part of this. The Council was one of the first organisations to implement Fabric Connect in the UK and it has provided much more flexibility across so many services. We are tremendously pleased this partnership has worked so well for them.”