CCTV coverage in Swindon’s town centre car parks is being more than doubled as the council steps up efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The installation of upgraded cameras is taking place as part of The Big Town Centre Clean-Up, a two-week programme bringing together residents, community groups, businesses, councillors and council staff to improve the appearance, safety and environment of the town centre.
The number of cameras covering council-owned car parks at Fleming Way, Spring Gardens, Brunel West and Brunel North is increasing from 64 to 139.
The council says the work will provide blanket CCTV coverage across its town centre car parks for the first time.
The new cameras are fitted with speaker technology, allowing council officers in the CCTV control room to speak directly to people in the car parks. The system can also detect when individuals or groups are loitering and play a message reminding them that they are being monitored.
The biggest improvements have already been made at Spring Gardens, while work is continuing at Brunel West. Once the installation is complete, the council expects to have significantly greater visibility across its car parks.
The upgraded system forms part of Swindon Borough Council’s wider CCTV network, with officers monitoring around 1,400 cameras across the borough.
So far this year, CCTV footage has helped investigate more than 500 incidents, providing evidence to Wiltshire Police for criminal investigations and prosecutions.
Councillor Matt Hinton, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Safety and Services, said the CCTV improvements were part of wider efforts to make the town centre a more welcoming place.
He said: “The Big Town Centre Clean-Up is about taking practical action to improve people’s experience of the town centre and make it a place everyone can be proud of.
“Increasing CCTV coverage is a visible example of that commitment. By more than doubling the number of cameras in our car parks, we’re improving safety, helping to tackle anti-social behaviour and giving residents greater confidence when they visit the town centre.
“The addition of speaker technology also means our officers can intervene immediately when issues arise, sending a clear message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Councillor Nick Gardiner, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, who is responsible for the council’s car parks, said the facilities were an important part of the town centre.
He said: “Our town centre car parks are used by thousands of residents, workers and visitors every week and play an important role in supporting local businesses and the wider economy.
“These upgrades give us much greater visibility across our car parks and enable officers to respond more proactively to incidents, helping ensure they remain safe, secure and welcoming places to park.”
The CCTV work is one of a number of measures being carried out during The Big Town Centre Clean-Up, which aims to improve Swindon’s town centre for residents, businesses and visitors
