In St Albans, The Maltings Shopping Centre has had new cameras installed. A local installer, Amthal, has been working for The Maltings since 2013 and took on full management of the system in 2017. Newly fitted are 39 Dahua cameras, including pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ), 180-degree and AI-powered people-counting models, to cover all seven entrances and car parks. Automatic number plate recognition has been integrated with the car barriers to provide vehicle access control, while people-counting by the cameras now delivers visitor data to track peaks and troughs.
Security signage as a deterrent is supported by EMCS Sentry software which monitors hardware performance and camera availability. On-premises storage means data remains under the centre’s direct control.
Richard Marrett, Centre Director at The Maltings, says: “The new systems have changed the way we manage the centre. The cameras and control desk give us clearer oversight and together with features like people counting and vehicle access ensures we can identify incidents, respond quickly and review activity with confidence. Behind it all is the trust we have in Amthal, built over three decades of working together to keep The Maltings safe and welcoming.”
A redesigned digital control desk now brings all live feeds, recordings and analytics together on a single platform, giving the security staff clearer visuals and wider oversight than before. All installation work was carried out while the centre remained open. Amthal planned the schedule so that tenants, staff and shoppers felt no disruption.
Kris Hallett, Business Development Director at Dahua Technology UK, added: “The upgraded cameras now capture detail even in low light, and features like auto-tracking reduce the need for constant manual monitoring. People-counting sensors give the team reliable data across key areas, while number plate recognition integrated with the car park barrier has streamlined vehicle access and reduced misuse. All can be accessed at any time, even remotely. Working alongside Amthal, we were able to introduce all of this without disruption to the centre’s daily operations.”
The original CCTV was installed in 1995. Paul Rosenthal, Amthal Group Business Development Director, added: “Our established partnership with The Maltings demonstrates how we work with clients over the long term. This complete upgrade with latest Dahua technology has delivered an integrated system that is straightforward for the team to use and manage via the new control centre. It ensures the centre remains safe, accessible and an enjoyable experience with complete peace of mind for tenants and shoppers alike.”
