Dundee’s Safe as Houses campaign

New control centre to help tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in Dundee.

21:42 01 February 2018

A camera and intruder alarm response control centre, which is part of Dundee’s Safe as Houses campaign, aims to create a safer community for residents by empowering the council to respond to incidents more quickly. It is designed to bring footage from property-related council CCTV cameras under one roof. The initiative is hoped to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour as well as protect locals, buildings and other assets. It will also allow the council to respond in a timely manner during emergencies as well as play a crucial role in emergency planning.

 

Graeme Mackenzie, service manager of Community Safety and Resilience, said: “Community safety and justice is one of the four cross- cutting themes within the city plan which was launched by members and senior officers some weeks ago. In the community safety arena we have a number of priorities.

 

“For example, one of our priorities is to reduce, or assist in the reduction of domestic violence in the city.

 

“The aspiration to reduce general antisocial behaviour, the desire to increase fire safety — the SARC will play an integral part in all that.”

 

He added: “In terms of monitoring CCTV, particularly in key hubs like Dundee House, The Crescent, McManus or the V&A, which will have a modern CCTV system surrounding it, we can’t afford to have them damaged.

 

“Preservation of these assets is a high priority to us as petty malicious damage to those buildings can have a huge impact on resources.”