Forward-thinking collaboration transforms sustainable CCTV provision for police and local authorities.
Genetec, the global leader in enterprise physical security software, has announced the Thames Valley CCTV Partnership has deployed Genetec Security Center to enhance the quality, reliability and effectiveness of public space CCTV.
The innovative programme transfers CCTV monitoring to dedicated Thames Valley Police control rooms, 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.
Public space CCTV, traditionally owned and operated by local authorities, 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 councils to commit sufficient budget to the maintenance, upgrade and staffing of control rooms.
The Thames Valley CCTV Partnership, led by the Thames Valley Police Commissioner, resolves this 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, a unified and open architecture security platform that incorporates a wide range of security applications into a single, intuitive interface. This is then augmented with other software and Hanwha Vision AI-enabled cameras to deliver greater coverage, enhanced capabilities and streamlined operations.
“CCTV is an important part of community safety, benefitting police and local communities in helping to deter crime and antisocial behaviour, identify offenders and support prosecutions. Ongoing commitment and investment enables high-quality, consistent and sustainable CCTV provision now and into the future,” explains Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley.
Following a competitive tender, 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 access for officers. A further phase will consolidate four control rooms in Oxfordshire into a single hub in Abingdon Police Station, enhancing operational resilience and efficiency.
“The CCTV Command Suite has improved our workflows beyond recognition, enabling staff to quickly review and package evidence for frontline officers or more complex investigations. It has received several plaudits from officers for its ease of use,” said Jason Owen, CCTV Operations Manager, Thames Valley Police.
“Thames Valley Police’s approach to modernising public space CCTV demonstrates how a unified platform creates opportunities for smarter, more responsive policing,” said Ben Durrant, Account Executive at Genetec.
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, long-term solution for their CCTV infrastructure while enhancing police capabilities to respond to and prevent crime.
