Leicester Leys Leisure Centre sought CCTV at all key points of the site.
Its facilities include a pool and flume, sports halls, outdoor pitches, a crèche and the highest climbing wall in the East Midlands. To ensure that visitors enjoy the time they spend at the centre, safety and security are high on the agenda.
What they say
Tracy James, Facility Manager, says: “We were struggling with a CCTV system that was over 20 years old. The black and white imagery it produced was so grainy it was no use to us at all and could not be used as evidence by police, if required. We do have some trouble at the leisure centre with theft, accidents and anti-social behaviour around the outdoor pitches, so an updated CCTV solution was essential going forward. Chubb Electronic Security is approved by the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) which means that we are able to work with them. Having obtained funding from the risk management department and received three quotes, we opted for Chubb as the technology suited our requirements perfectly and Chubb was able to carry out the installation according to our timelines.”
Six months ago, Chubb installed 14 colour cameras at the site. They are positioned around the outside of the main buildings, and at key trouble spots, including the disabled car park where there had been problems with unauthorised parking; the pool hall; the equipment and snack vending stores which are often targeted by thieves; and outside the locker room.
“At quiet times, the lockers in the changing room have often been broken into and people’s possessions, handbags etc stolen. Of course, general privacy means that we can’t have cameras actually inside the changing rooms, but having them at the entrances and exits allows us to monitor very closely who goes in and out and at what times. The images from the new system are so clear that we are able to identify individuals’ faces and, should any trouble occur, we would be able to recognise the culprit by a process of elimination.”
The level of accuracy provided by the cameras is also an invaluable tool on a health and safety level. “A previous sub-drowning incident in the pool, where a swimmer was unconscious and had to be resuscitated, was recorded on camera,” adds Tracy. “The footage provided a very important record for all concerned and allowed us to pinpoint exactly what happened, produce a full report on the event, and hopefully help prevent it from ever happening again.”
The cameras are monitored from a central control room in the leisure centre offices except for the one which looks over the terrace outside the bar area. Due to the licensing laws, this one needs to be monitored directly by the bar staff, behind the bar. “So far the customer service has been excellent and since the installation, Chubb has been very responsive in providing additional quotes and information quickly whenever requested. Budgets permitting we are hoping to install some more Chubb cameras in our storage areas in the near future,” Tracy adds.
