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A round-up of what’s new in public realm CCTV.
In Exeter, pictured, the city council, Devon and Cornwall Police and others have launched a Community Safety Charter.
Laura Wright, Deputy Leader of the city council and Lead Councillor for Community Safety and City Centre, said: โExeter is a very safe and welcoming city, but people often highlight anti-social behaviour as a concern, and this is something we take very seriously. Weโve listened to the concerns and are acting on them. ย
โThe city council and its partners have instigated important and effective projects to improve how people feel about safety in the city.ย These include increasing the number of CCTV cameras and staffing within the Control Room, launching a jointly funded Community Safety Team for the city centre, continuing the use of our Public Spaces Protectionย Orderย and introducing the yellow โNeed Helpโ signs.โ Those โNeed Helpโ signs are being rolled out across the city centre, which links back to the local CCTV control room, which was featured in the March 2025 edition of Professional Security Magazine. Community safety in Exeter and elsewhere was featured in the March 2026 edition.ย
In the north east
Hartlepool Borough Council is replacing ageing CCTV equipment, paid for through the Pride in Place Impact Fund. Pamela Hargreaves, Leader of the council, described it as a major investment in CCTV and a real step change for community safety in the town. She said: “Residents have told us clearly that tackling anti-social behaviour, environmental crime and other community safety issues is their top priority โ and weโve listened. These new cameras will help protect the places where we live, work and spend time together, and this investment shows that when residents speak up, real change can follow.” The spend (part of the Labour Governmentโs Pride in Place Strategy through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, set out last year) includes three mobile CCTV units and two ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras. Similarly, North Tyneside Council is rolling out more than 200 cameras, in town centres and public spaces in North Shields, Meadow Well, Wallsend, the Fish Quay, Whitley Bay and Howdon, besides the council’s Customer First Centres.
In south east London
The Royal Borough of Greenwich has installed new CCTV cameras in Eltham High Street and Woolwich Dockyard. Community Safety Enforcement Officers will be able to live stream the camera footage to their phones using software provided by Videosoft Global. The council says it plans to install eight more cameras across the borough; and fund more Community Safety Enforcement Officers and two extra local police officers.
Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: โYou have told us that crime and anti-social behaviour is the biggest issue facing Royal Greenwich today, so weโre using cash weโve secured from developers along with grants to upgrade the councilโs CCTV network in places where youโve said you feel unsafe. In Greenwich, weโre getting things done.โ
In the west Midlands
Walsall Council has installed 21 cameras in fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour hotspots. Seven covert cameras are due to be deployed, whether in more rural areas or places without power supplies, or persistent hotspots. Adam Hicken, Portfolio Holder for Enforcement and Safe Communities, said: โ Fly-tipping and littering are a blight on our communities, and we are determined to tackle those responsible. This investment is about putting the right tools in place to deter offenders and ensure that those who choose to damage our borough face consequences.
โThe rollout of these additional cameras, including covert cameras, will help us monitor hotspots, identify offenders and gather the evidence needed to take enforcement action. We are already seeing positive results, with more fines being issued and paid and three vehicles seized in connect with fly-tipping this year already. โ
