Dyfed Powys Police won the Gordon McLanaghan Security Innovation Award, during the annual Global MSC Security CCTV conference in Bristol. The award marks the centralised CCTV surveillance operation across four counties and 24 towns in mid-Wales, led by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Dafydd Llywelyn. The award is presented in memory of Bristol City Council CCTV and Emergency Control Room Manager Gordon McLanaghan, recognising work on a technical security solution.
The previous CCTV infrastructure across Dyfed Powys was mainly owned by the local authorities such as town councils, and under austerity faltered. The PCC, in May 2016, pledged to re-invest in a modern camera infrastructure, to include central monitoring. The final stage of the project was completed in September; and to date 149 camera have been installed across 24 towns. The majority of cameras are wireless and transmit to local police stations where images are sent across the force network to the Monitoring Suite at police force headquarters.
The project has been completed with local authorities, the Welsh Government, Harbour Master’s Authority and the National Parks. Dafydd Llywelyn says: “There have been numerous criminal investigations, where CCTV evidence has proven critical in the identification, arrest and charge of suspects in serious cases of violence against individuals, burglaries and domestic related violence. The CCTV system, through the dedicated central monitoring function has assisted in the early identification of incidents.”
Managing Director of Global MSC Security, Derek Maltby adds: “There are many standout innovations that other police forces can learn from this project. One of note is the Wide Area Network upgrade, which addresses a major pain point for officers. No longer do they need to travel to a local camera site to burn images to disc, as it is streamed to the Monitoring Suite in the Force Communication Centre. Furthermore, the data can be edited and shared as evidence with criminal justice partners electronically, saving huge amounts of time and resource. This innovative project represents a win, win for the public and the police!”
The award was presented on Monday evening, November 11, during a charity dinner at the Bristol Hotel in Bristol to raise money for The Lily Foundation. Dafydd Llywelyn was presented with the trophy made from Bristol Blue Glass and £1,000 cheque, which he donated to the charity. Derek Maltby said “I am proud and impressed by the generosity that those working in the security and public safety sectors demonstrate each year. Together in one evening we have raised over £5,400 for The Lily Foundation.”
Photo by Jon Craig.
