Slough is one of the first areas in the Thames Valley to benefit from improved CCTV, aimed at deterring and detecting crime.

Backed by Police & Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber, local authority partners and Thames Valley Police, the Thames Valley CCTV partnership aims to deliver an improved, sustainable provision for CCTV across the Thames Valley to help detect and deter crime and keep the public safe.

The launch of the first phase of the partnership has seen the transfer of ownership of CCTV from Milton Keynes City Council and Slough Borough Council to Thames Valley Police with significant investment from the PCC and funding from Local Authority partners to enhance the CCTV provision in both areas.

Matthew Barber said “CCTV is an important part of community safety; benefitting policing and local communities in helping to deter crime and antisocial behaviour, identify offenders and support prosecutions.

“I am pleased to be able to build on our partnerships with local councils to launch the first phase of the programme in Milton Keynes and Slough. Ongoing commitment and investment will enable high quality, consistent and sustainable CCTV provision now and into the future which will help keep our communities safe.

“Since going live earlier this month we are already seeing the benefits of this investment with the upgrade of equipment and increase in CCTV operators enabling the police to intervene in serious crimes as they are being committed.”

The programme will see all public space CCTV cameras in Milton Keynes and the majority in Slough upgraded from an analogue to a digital system with an increase in cameras to 64 in Milton Keynes and 140 in Slough.

The monitoring of Slough CCTV has been relocated to Milton Keynes. The Milton Keynes Command Suite is monitoring cameras in both areas and has been equipped with the latest CCTV technology to enable Thames Valley Police to secure the best quality evidence possible.

Integration with existing police systems will help support investigations, enabling officers to access footage remotely and share it across the force area much more easily.

There has also been investment in staffing and the Command Suite now has eight CCTV Operators and one Supervisor employed by Thames Valley Police to monitor cameras across both areas.

Superintendent Felicity Parker, Head of Policing Strategy Unit from Thames Valley Police said: “This partnership brings significant benefits, with upgraded CCTV and enhanced management.

“Increased staffing and the use of technology to identify hot spots will support work to prevent crime and increase people’s feelings of safety in our public spaces. 

"In addition, the new digital camera definition provides us clearer footage to better investigate opportunities to pursue offenders."

Investment in the CCTV programme includes a five-year maintenance contract to ensure equipment remains fully functional and benefits from system upgrades and technological advancements.