Caught in the act - officers arrest an armed robber near the Thames Path in Hammersmith after having been tipped off by H&F's CCTV team
More than 100 crime-fighting CCTV cameras are being upgraded across Hammersmith & Fulham in a £5.4million investment to keep residents safe.
Twenty cameras have already been transformed into fully automated 360-degree cameras, with a dozen more to be fitted around Shepherds Bush in the next few weeks.
The programme has also seen infrastructure upgrades in Caxton Village, Shepherds Bush, and around Fulham including Craven Cottage and Bishops Park. Meanwhile, new connecting duct routes are being added in busy areas such as Wood Lane, White City, to organise and better protect the cables that connect the cameras to our CCTV control room in Hammersmith.
Cameras near our libraries, the Westfield shopping mall and streets in Hammersmith will be next. The programme is set to significantly increase residents' safety by making H&F's network of CCTV cameras the most advanced on the market.
1,000 arrests
Along with our 72-stong Law Enforcement Team, H&F's CCTV team is a staple in H&F's war on crime.
With a network of almost 2,000 cameras – the densest anywhere in the country – the service plays a key role in detecting threatening and dangerous behaviour and reducing street crime around the borough.
In more than 1,000 cases, H&F's CCTV operators helped the police make an arrest over the last year. "We keep an eye out for any suspicious activity in the borough, proactively looking at hot spot areas," said Silas Alvarez, a CCTV supervisor at H&F Council.
"That includes anything from people loitering around "cash in transit" vehicles, through to masked individuals and youth groups hanging around housing estates, causing anti-social behaviour."
By keeping an eye on high-footfall areas and other areas of public interest, such as football stadiums or shopping centres, H&F residents and visitors can enjoy a worry-free day out in the borough, knowing that their safety remains the council's number one priority.
"Our control room has direct radio communications with the police," Alvarez explained. "We can speak directly to the attending officers, pass on intel and images in real time, and direct them as needed."
H&F and Met officers can review CCTV recordings to gather evidence for court proceedings and identify persons wanted by the police.
All recordings are deleted after 30 days unless explicitly requested otherwise.
Machete arrest by the Thames
Recently, our team helped Met Police officers arrest and jail a machete-wielding robber.
Watch CCTV footage of the Thames Path arrest on YouTube.
Our CCTV team spotted the thug carrying a large zombie knife and a pal on a motor scooter looking for unassuming people to rob near the Thames Path.
We immediately alerted police and directed them to the scene, where the man with the machete was detained after a chase and struggle with officers. He was later convicted and sent to prison.
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