How can using intelligent CCTV reduce police and Publics Services costs?

With the rising doubt over the state of the economy and the government requiring budgets cuts to deal with the spiralling UK budget deficit, various bodies are already looking at the areas where they will be forced to reduce expenditure. Some have suggested that police force manpower will require significant downsizing. However, others have said that technological advancements can assist when being forced to economise without the need to reduce headcount.

Over past 20 years, the main political parties have increased spending on the police, yet, the impact of the downturn is beginning to make itself felt and with many public services facing cuts in their budget. This makes it even more vital for public services to make the most of their available finances.

A recent article in The Guardian reported that spending on the police is set to rise by 2.7 per cent to £10bn next year, with 70 per cent of this budget going to the 145,000 police officers in England and Wales. This was met with stoic criticism by Met Commissioner Sir Ian Blair who said policing was simply becoming ‘unaffordable.’

In this new financial landscape, CCTV systems are playing an increasingly important role in helping the police and other public sector organisations reduce their costs whilst maintaining front line services. Traditional CCTV installations have been criticised as ineffective, however, with the rise of ‘intelligent’ systems which have the ability to react to light and movement and make triggered decisions, security analysts are already saying that the use of “event based” digital CCTV this could save billions for the economy.

The cost of crime in the UK is still high, with the Home Office study in 2005 showing that the cost of crime to the UK economy was running at a staggering £78bn per year. The widespread introduction and deployment of new CCTV technologies across the UK could counteract the necessary budget cuts and allow crime prevention and safety to be maintained at high levels.

If you are responsible for crime prevention and safety within a public sector body and have concerns as to how you can keep on top of the situation with a limited budget, then contact CCTV Surveillance today to see how our CCTV systems can assist your organisation to make efficiency savings whilst increase crime prevention and safety.