More than 300 new and upgraded CCTV cameras have been installed across the capital, thanks to funding from the Mayor of London.
The upgrades, are designed to improve security for homes, businesses and communities and have been fitted after £30 million of investment in full fibre coverage.
The funding is part of the Mayor's work to deliver new improved digital public services and make London safer for everyone.
The updates mean that clearer footage will be captured by CCTV cameras and be available to the Met Police, helping to identify, pursue and prosecute offenders.
The work has been delivered by the Mayor’s Connected London programme which improves full fibre connectivity across hard-to-reach areas in the capital. Other projects include the installation of new sensors to monitor air quality, better monitoring of traffic congestion, as well as supporting councils to enhance public safety by monitoring town centres and high streets.
Merton Council has used the money to upgrade their fibre to support the installation of 55 new cameras, and enabling the local authority to improve incident response times with partners, increase the reliability of their CCTV network, reduce running costs and help them allocate extra resources to other community safety initiatives.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As a thriving global city, it’s essential our capital’s digital infrastructure is kept fully updated so I’m pleased that an investment of £30million from City Hall is ramping up full fibre connectivity across London. New and upgraded CCTV cameras will produce sharper images that will help local authorities, TfL and crucially for the Met police improve safety for everyone after dark and present stronger evidence in criminal trials. I’m committed to working with the police, partners and businesses to improve security in our transport networks, high streets, and town centres to create a safer London for everyone.”
Commander Owain Richards from the Metropolitan Police said: “We welcome these improvements which will give our officers the tools they need to crackdown on crime and bring perpetrators to justice. The Met will continue to work with the Mayor and partners so we can improve CCTV across the capital and ultimately make London a safer place.”
Shashi Verma, chief technology officer at TfL, said: “It’s great that our work with Boldyn Networks to utilise our network to provide new fibre connectivity across London is already delivering tangible benefits for Londoners. We’re committed to working with boroughs to improve connectivity across the city, which will support growth opportunities and help deliver better use of digital technology for all.”
