Medway Commercial Group Respond to CCTV Issues

Medway Commercial Group responds to criticism following reports that the majority of the town’s cameras are not functioning.

18:10 29 October 2018

Medway Commercial Group (MCG), the trading arm of Medway Council, has released a statement to respond to criticisms in the wake of the revelation that the majority of the town’s cameras are not working. It said that the situation arose as a result of a "general misunderstanding of the contractual relationship between [the organisations involved]" and also "incorrect interpretations of the contractual arrangements".

 

The cameras are owned by Medway Council but they are maintained by MCG . Meanwhile, the Community Safety Partnership oversees them and makes funding decisions.

 

Head of MCG Ian Price said: "In this particular case, MCG had recommended the replacement of the faulty cameras in Twydall and Gillingham High Street as the existing network connections and hardware was no longer economical to maintain. MCG is able to confirm that it has now received the go ahead to replace these cameras."

 

"Medway has the largest suite of cameras we maintain, some of which have been in operation for over 20 years and while still effective, could be much improved with upgrades.

 

"It is often more sensible to replace the broken cameras with new ones that are compatible with Medway Council’s overarching Smart Cities agenda, which — if fully implemented — will deliver improved services."