Thames Valley CCTV Partnership enhances public safety with Genetec

The innovative programme transfers CCTV monitoring to dedicated Thames Valley Police Control Rooms, in turn delivering significant cost efficiencies for participating local authorities.

Thames Valley Police is the largest non-metropolitan police force in England and Wales, covering multiple towns, city centres and council areas across the three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Traditionally owned and operated by local authorities, public space CCTV plays a critical role in its efforts to deter crime, support investigations and maintain community safety. However, financial pressures have made it increasingly difficult for local councils to commit sufficient budget to the maintenance, upgrade and staffing of Control Rooms.

Immediate capital funding

The Thames Valley CCTV Partnership, which is led by the Thames Valley Police Commissioner, resolves this issue by providing immediate capital funding and driving down ongoing costs through the pooling of resources and the use of more advanced technologies.

Its operating model is built on Genetec Security Center, itself a unified and open architecture security platform that incorporates a wide range of security applications into a single and intuitive interface. This is then augmented with other software and Hanwha Vision’s Artificial Intelligence-enabled cameras to deliver greater coverage, enhanced capabilities and streamlined operations.

“CCTV is an important part of community safety, benefiting police and local communities in helping to deter crime and antisocial behaviour, identify offenders and support prosecutions,” explained Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley. “Ongoing commitment and investment enables high-quality, consistent and sustainable CCTV provision now and into the future.”

Competitive tender

Following a competitive tender process, Thames Valley Police selected Genetec Security Center as the foundation for the centralised system. The open platform enables the seamless unification of existing systems, allowing Thames Valley Police to gradually integrate and modernise Control Rooms without significant disruption or cost.

Phase One involved modernising Control Rooms in Milton Keynes and Slough. Legacy analogue infrastructure was upgraded to a modern IP-based system, enabling improved workflows and better access for officers. A further phase will consolidate four Control Rooms in Oxfordshire into a single hub at Abingdon Police Station, in turn enhancing operational resilience and efficiency.

“The CCTV Command Suite has improved our workflows beyond recognition, enabling staff to quickly review and package evidence for front line officers or more complex investigations,” explained Jason Owen, CCTV operations manager for Thames Valley Police. “It has received several plaudits from officers for its ease of use.”

Ben Durrant, account executive at Genetec, informed Security Matters: “Thames Valley Police’s approach to modernising public space CCTV demonstrates how a unified platform creates opportunities for smarter and more responsive policing.”

The Thames Valley CCTV Partnership represents a significant milestone in public safety. By transferring control to Thames Valley Police, local authorities now have a reliable and long-term solution for their CCTV infrastructure, while enhancing police capabilities to respond to – and prevent – crime.

*For more information visit www.genetec.com and www.thamesvalley.police.uk