-optimized.jpg){kind=avatar}
In west London, Hammersmith & Fulham Council has overhauled its public space CCTV by unifying three legacy systems into Genetec Security Center. The deployment was carried out by the installer North, and has enabled the council to begin offering monitoring services to neighbouring boroughs.
Hammersmith & Fulham were running three fragmented systems that were proving costly to maintain and that limited coordination with stakeholders such as the Metropolitan Police and other London boroughs. It chose Genetec for its open architecture, ability to integrate, CCTV, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors and analytics into a single platform, plus its ability to support AI-driven monitoring and broader, smart-city initiatives.
Since migrating almost all of its cameras into the management software, Hammersmith and Fulham has recorded improvements in public safety. Total recorded offences are down 10 per cent year-on-year[i], including a 44pc reduction in knife crime, a 35pc fall in robbery, a 30pc decline in burglary and a 29pc drop in theft from motor vehicles. The council like others in London also has its own uniformed patrollers, LETs (Law Enforcement Team).
The council points also to operational efficiency, leading to reduced costs and revenue-raising opportunities for the council. It can now monitor more cameras with the same number of operators, making it possible to begin providing monitoring services to other public sector partners, to fund further spend in its control room.
Nicholas Smith, Regional Sales Director, UK and Ireland at Genetec Inc said: โBy partnering with Genetec and integrator North, Hammersmith & Fulham has taken a decisive step toward a safer, smarter borough. It gives the council the flexibility and functionality it needs to create safer public spaces.โ
The council is preparing for its next phase of modernisation, on use of AI and analytics. For example, real-time object detection, behaviour analysis and pattern recognition are all being explored to support the authorityโs wider crime reduction and smart city ambitions.
Neil Thurlow, Assistant Director for Community Safety, Resilience and CCTV at Hammersmith & Fulham said: โGenetec and North have given us a single, future-ready platform that improves visibility, collaboration and efficiency across our CCTV operations. It enables us to respond faster, work more closely with partners and deliver better outcomes for residents, supporting our ambitions for public safety well into the future.โ
Tony Oliver, Head of Physical Security at North said: โWe chose Genetec Security Center because of its open architecture, proven scalability and ability to integrate legacy systems alongside new cameras, IoT sensors and analytics. This allowed us to unify three disparate video surveillance systems into a single secure environment, simplify operations for control room teams, and give the council the flexibility to evolve the platform over time. The result is a future-ready solution that has improved efficiency, strengthened collaboration with partners like the Metropolitan Police, and which has delivered measurable public safety outcomes.โ
PSPO
The council recently brought in a public space protection order (PSPO); borough-wide rulesย to prohibit people from wearing face coverings to hide their identity and cause harassment (excluding religious head coverings); aggressive begging, and groups gathering to intimidate residents.
Photo by Mark Rowe: Fulham.
