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The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead has appointed Computerised & Digital Security Systems Ltd (CDS) to deliver its £1.3m CCTV upgrade as part of the council’s commitment to help maintain and improve community safety.

The scheme comprises a state-of-the-art wireless camera system that will see existing cameras upgraded as well as the installation of new and improved positions to offer better coverage across the borough. In total around 200 cameras will be added, upgraded or relocated.

At the heart of the network is a completely refurbished monitoring centre which will give the council’s control room staff, as well as partners in Thames Valley Police, improved facilities to monitor and review footage.

The new system will complement the community safety work undertaken by the council’s team of community wardens and the ongoing project to replace the hostile vehicle mitigation barriers in Windsor town centre with a more sympathetic design.

Cllr Mike Airey, cabinet member for environmental services (Inc. parking, flooding, housing and performance management), said: “We want residents and visitors to be and feel safe in the borough. In partnership with CDS we will roll out a state-of-the-art CCTV system to help us do just that.

“We already work closely with Thames Valley Police to maintain and improve community safety and we hope the new camera system will act as a deterrent from anti-social behaviour in certain hot spots, alongside our expanding team of community wardens.

 “Unfortunately there are still those out there who wish to commit crimes in our borough but in conjunction with police this new CCTV system will help to identify perpetrators and bring them to justice on those sad occasions when an incident does occur.”

Andy Williams, managing director of CDS said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as the Royal Borough’s CCTV contractor. Over the coming months we will be installing state-of-the-art cameras across the borough to help local residents feel safer in their community.”

The current network of cameras has reached the end of its serviceable life after more than 20 years and this project will see a significant improvement in the facilities available.

As part of the CCTV upgrade a number of existing cameras have been decommissioned where a better location has been identified to cover the area.

Residents and businesses near to all cameras which are being installed or changed in some way have already been written to and given an opportunity to comment.

CDS was appointed following a competitive tendering exercise and the project will now move into its next stage, with new wireless equipment and cameras being installed across the borough in stages.