City of Edinburgh Council has secured £712,000 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support an upgrade its CCTV estate as part of its smart city programme.
It is also investing just over £1 million itself in its Public Realm CCTV project, which forms part of its Smart cities programme.
The council said it is exploring how CCTV upgrades can be used alongside smart traffic management systems and the roll out of fibre broadband and 5G.
Immediate steps will include appointing a contractor to install 13 cameras at the Saughton Park eco-powered greenspace connected to the council’s monitoring facility. This is aimed at providing protection against anti-social behaviour.
Councillor Cammy Day, deputy leader of City of Edinburgh Council and its smart cities lead, said: “Particularly as our city grows, CCTV is a going to be a key tool to support the safety of the public and wider community, deterring and preventing anti-social behaviour and crime.
“The wellbeing of our communities is of the utmost importance and a smarter camera system will help us make sure that residents and visitors are well cared for, and that our local communities are supported and kept safe, for many years to come.
“I’m pleased to see such a significant amount of European funding directed towards this scheme and others which form part of our developing Smart City programme.”
In May the council approved a continuation of the contracts for fibre provision under Public Realm CCTV, although it is aiming to consolidate these into a single contract.
Image by Adrian Pingstone, public domain
