Green light for £2m CCTV system in Blackpool

A £2m investment in a new CCTV system for Blackpool has been given the go ahead by councillors.
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The executive unanimously approved steps to upgrade cameras in the town centre and along the Promenade, relocate the control centre and buy a mobile CCTV unit.

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£2m CCTV plan unveiled to make Blackpool safer

It is expected to take around 12 months to fully implement the new system.

Blackpool's CCTV system is to be upgradedBlackpool's CCTV system is to be upgraded
Blackpool's CCTV system is to be upgraded
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Coun Neal Brookes, cabinet member for enforcement, public safety, highways and transport, told the meeting: “CCTV plays an important role in public safety, particularly in relation to accessing the town centre at night.”

The number of cameras in the town centre and Promenade will be increased from 92 to 346, and a new Command and Control Centre will be created in Municipal Buildings on Corporation Street.

Cameras will have 360 degree vision while more than 100 speakers are being attached to CCTV columns capable of delivering public safety messages.

Coun Brookes said: “In an emergency situation we will be able to warn and inform.

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“If we need to get people away from an area we will be able to talk to them through the CCTV columns.

“If we see anti social behaviour we will be able to point out to people that they are on CCTV and it might not be quite such a good idea to do what they are doing.”

He added having a Control and Command Centre had been “warmly welcomed by the counter terrorism security advisor and the emergency services.”

Meanwhile the police would be able to access CCTV evidence from the new system “in real time” rather than having to wait days for images to be downloaded to a disc.

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It was revealed last December that Blackpool’s CCTV system needed a major overhaul due to the technology becoming obsolete, while the control centre needs to be moved from the former Bonny Street police station.

The £2m investment will be drawn from various pots of capital spending in the town centre, while an additional £100,000 is proposed to be set aside to meet support costs such as recruitment and training.

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