Leeds in £1.8 million wireless CCTV expansion

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Leeds is set for a £1.8 million expansion to its CCTV system using a new wireless network, the council has announced.

Set in areas in East Leeds, the 500-camera system will monitor 53 tower blocks and sheltered housing schemes for antisocial behaviour and crime.

Funded by East North East Homes Leeds and developed by the council's specialist IT service Innovation Leeds, the new system will be run on a WiMax network, with the cameras remotely controlled.

"The fact that the CCTV is driven using an ultra modern wireless network gives the system a degree of flexibility that systems constrained by wires and cables cannot have," said Doug Sutherland, head of Innovation Leads, in a statement. "The cameras are monitored from a state-of-the-art control room but images from them will also be accessible by people on the ground in the area, allowing police and Community Safety Officers to view real time footage on laptops or hand-held devices."

The digital, wireless design is more flexible than previous systems, allowing temporary cameras to be set up to target specific areas for antisocial behaviour or fly-tipping, said Steve Hunt, the chief executive of East North East Homes Leeds.

He added: "Because the system is entirely digital it allows us to protect residents' privacy by electronically masking areas such as windows to prevent images being captured from these areas."

The wireless network will not opened up for public use, but spare capacity could be used for IP telephony and resident support services, the council said.

A pilot for the programme with 50 cameras is already running, with the full 500 expected to be rolled out by late summer.

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