Police launch new CCTV hub to 'boost public safety'

Police say a CCTV hub will "boost public safety and support crime prevention" across Oxfordshire.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) has officially launched its new countywide CCTV control room at Abingdon Police Station.

The development is part of the Thames Valley CCTV Partnership - with local authorities in the county agreeing to transfer their cameras in public spaces to police.

The scheme has been fronted by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Matthew Barber, who said the hub was a "really big step forward".

"For the public, what this really means is a more sustainable CCTV for the future, it will cost the public purse a little bit less over time and it's less likely to fall apart," he said.

"It also means we've got some of the best technology, we've got more human eyes on those cameras more consistently, and it means as we go forward into the future we will have a resilient CCTV setup which can develop as new technology comes on."

The scheme brings all CCTV in public places that is currently controlled by Oxfordshire's five district council's under the remit of TVP.

At the new Abingdon hub, eight operators and one supervisor will be employed to monitor footage from across the county, the force said.

This, it said, would "increase opportunities to react to live incidents and stop crime as it is taking place".

Barber explained that the project had been kickstarted by a £300,000 investment from his office, with further funding split 50-50 between councils and TVP.

The PCC said: "Ultimately, what we want from it is crime prevention."

"It's great to have CCTV to catch people after the fact, but actually making sure that officers can respond to things as the situation is developing is a huge benefit."

He added that the scheme was "as far as I know" the first agreement of its kind between a police force and councils anywhere in the country.

The Oxfordshire project builds on similar agreements in Slough and Milton Keynes, also managed by TVP.