Live CCTV Coverage Returns to Maidstone

Live CCTV monitoring of Maidstone town centre to continue following a successful trial.

07:28 09 February 2021

Live CCTV coverage is to return to Maidstone following a successful trial. 

 

The service was discontinued in March due to operating costs. Following the downgrade of service, the council was able to lower down the costs associated with the CCTV network from £273,000 to £111,000 annually. The saving was then used to upgrade the borough's 32 cameras to new high definition, Wi-Fi enabled equipment. 

 

The One Maidstone business improvement district (BID) subsequently offered a 24-hour live coverage trial. Following six months of successful trial, One Maidstone and MBC agreed to bring back live CCTV monitoring on a permanent basis. 

 

One Maidstone BID manager Ilsa Butler said: "We understand the importance of monitored CCTV for the town centre businesses that we represent, as well as its value in helping those who live, work and visit Maidstone to feel safe, and to be safe.

 

"To this end, we feel it's a positive step that we have been able to negotiate with MBC to facilitate One Maidstone providing a monitoring service, a move that has been welcomed by businesses.

 

"The successful six month trial carried out by One Maidstone evidences our ability to prevent a move to a record-only system - combined with our widely used town centre security radios and our close partnership work with Kent Police, we believe that this new service from the BID will help reduce and prevent crime moving forwards."