Operation Hawkeye was a £3m, three-year project to connect every London Underground car park to a CCTV network. From our September 2003 issue.
Some 636 cameras were installed at 61 car parks, offering 100 per cent coverage of park and ride facilities across the underground network. Pictures go to three area control rooms in West Ham, Finsbury Park and Wembley Park and the system is managed by British Transport Police (BTP) on behalf of London Underground Limited (LUL) . Each car park has a help point which is connected to the relevant control room and commuters can call for assistance, if required. The installers ADT have a £600,000 contract to maintain and upgrade the system for the next three years. Representatives from the Government Office for London’s Crime Reduction Team, which funded the project, accompanied Andre Williams, project manager on behalf of ADT’s City of London branch, and representatives from LUL and BTP on a recent visit to car parks at Newbury Park and Redbridge and the West Ham control room. Newbury Park and Redbridge were previously among the worst affected by crime but both have seen a 50pc drop in car-related crime since the network went live. British Transport Police Area Commander and Chief Superintendent Steve Hotston said: "CCTV installation has made a substantial difference. Incidents of crime have fallen and detection rates have improved by 50pc. Members of the public can now use the park and ride system safe in the knowledge that their vehicle will be in one piece when they return, and when someone does commit a criminal act, they will be caught and prosecuted. Thanks to the commitment of all the partners involved, LUL passengers can travel with an improved sense of security and reassurance."
