IPSWICH City Council’s Safe City has grown to a network of more than 300 security cameras across the city, suburbs and rural areas. It’s a serious 24-hour operation. Ipswich is often used as an example for other cities to follow.
It was a gutsy decision by councillors to establish Safe City in 1994. Digital video was still to become affordable and universal, so it began with a handful of cameras in the city centre and used VHS tapes to record.
Today’s technology now allows live streaming to police.
Legend has it that even before the cameras were switched on there were foot patrols with dogs to deter bad behaviour. That didn’t last long because the dogs were having a go at the wrong people.
Council has always insisted Safe City is successful and value for money. Having seen how it operates behind the scenes many times I can only agree.
Safe City staff work quietly and diligently in a dimly lit control room surrounded by hundreds of screens ready to report incidents to police.
According to council’s website, operators contact police over 5000 times each year to provide valuable information. This can include persons of interest known to police and facilitates police operations which can be pro-active rather than after any serious criminal activity.
A five-year snapshot indicates Safe City assisted police on over 7000 occasions, reviewed video over 2500 times which resulted in over 1300 video clips being released for police investigation and prosecution purposes.
Happy 30th birthday Safe City.
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