Cumbria Police unveil new set of HD CCTV cameras to surveil the county

These join the county’s existing fleet of 80 cameras, most of which have now been upgraded to 1080p resolution from 720p, as part of a two-year programme that is nearing completion.

Mike Johnson, deputy police, fire, and crime commissioner for Cumbria, said: “It’s all about giving people peace of mind that these cameras are being monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and that they then use to help find and track people (and) find people that are missing - vulnerable people.”

Mr Johnson said the rollout has been funded with around £500,000 of taxpayers’ money, and to date, the new cameras have assisted in identifying or tracking over 500 people and assisted in 500 arrests, he said.

The new cameras, first deployed in Penrith, have improved image clarity and reduced blurriness during zoom-ins.

Above: A side-by-side comparison of Washington Street in Workington with the old camera and the new.

While these HD cameras currently do not incorporate facial recognition technology, discussions around potential future integration have emerged.

Cumbria Police, however, have asserted that the primary focus remains on the present rollout of high-definition cameras.

The upgrade, managed by CCTV manager Andy Petty, represents a significant investment in the technological capabilities of the force, setting the stage for potential advancements in law enforcement tools.

Addressing concerns about privacy, Mr Petty said stringent measures are in place to prevent misuse of the surveillance system.

All actions performed on the system are auditable and any unauthorised or inappropriate use is a sackable offence, Mr Petty said.

Andy Petty's workstation (Image: Ollie Rawlinson)

The cameras, equipped with software by Bedroq, feature black screens strategically placed to protect sensitive areas from surveillance, such as windows into private spaces, which Mr Petty said are unremovable by the police.

Devonshire Street/Market Square in Penrith, as seen via the CCTV cameras operated by the police, with black screens covering windows in an effort to protect people's privacy. (Image: Cumbria Constabulary)

Footage is kept for 30 days, unless there is a court order, in which case they are kept for six years.

Regarding the impact on crime, Mr Petty added: “We know from past years of looking at our data that where we have a CCTV camera in the 100 meters radius around that area, there is roughly a 30 per cent reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour and an increase in the number of cases of crime and ASB that are taken to court, and they get a positive result through court.

“So it makes sort of sense, really. CCTV cameras reduce crime and increase prosecutions.”