A significant investment by Felixstowe Town Council has helped deliver a major upgrade to the town’s CCTV network, providing enhanced security for residents, businesses and visitors.
Working in close partnership with East Suffolk Council and Suffolk Constabulary, Felixstowe Town Council committed £42,000 from its reserves towards the project, helping to fund a state-of-the-art CCTV system that strengthens public safety across the town centre.
The upgraded network, delivered by East Suffolk Council following extensive engagement with Suffolk Constabulary and Felixstowe Town Council, includes 39 cameras, with 16 ageing cameras replaced by new Ultra High Definition (UHD) technology. The enhanced cameras provide sharper images and wider coverage of key locations and crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots.
The new system is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by West Suffolk Council, which is contracted by East Suffolk Council to monitor, record and maintain CCTV operations. Since becoming operational earlier this month, the upgraded network has already assisted Suffolk Constabulary with a number of incidents involving crime, anti-social behaviour and traffic.
The project is the culmination of many months of work by Felixstowe Town Council’s dedicated CCTV Working Group, which worked closely with East Suffolk Council and Suffolk Constabulary to develop and deliver the scheme.
Cllr Darren Aitchison, Mayor of Felixstowe, said:
“The completion of this CCTV upgrade is a significant achievement for Felixstowe, only made possible through close collaboration. Felixstowe Town Council’s dedicated CCTV Working Group has worked tirelessly alongside East Suffolk Council and Suffolk Constabulary to guide this project from its early concepts to full delivery. By committing £42,000 of our local reserves to this joint investment, we have ensured our town is equipped with a truly state-of-the-art security network.
“It is extremely encouraging that, within just a short time of becoming operational, the new system has already supported the reporting of local incidents. With the cameras now being actively monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this modern system will play a vital role in deterring crime and anti-social behaviour, whilst supporting our local policing teams in responding quickly and effectively.
“This is a positive step towards making Felixstowe an even safer, more welcoming, and vibrant place for everyone who lives, works, and visits here.”
Cllr Paul Ashton, Deputy Leader of East Suffolk Council and Cabinet Member for Assets, said:
“We’re pleased to see the CCTV upgraded and already being utilised during our busy summer season in Felixstowe.
“The new system allows us to work closely with Suffolk Constabulary and gives them the ability to view live incidents, and footage can be uploaded to their secure Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) network, enabling a more effective timely response to incidents across the town.
“As both a popular tourist destination and the location of the UK’s largest container port, Felixstowe is a busy hub for residents, workers and visitors. Improvements to our CCTV system will help to create a safer environment and provide greater reassurance to everyone who lives, works and spends time in our town.“
Cllr Jan Candy, East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for Community Health, said:
“Improvements to our CCTV provision, together with the recent Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) covering parts of the town, will help residents and visitors feel safer, more secure and more confident when spending time in Felixstowe. We’d like to thank Felixstowe Town Council and Suffolk Police for their investment, support and partnership in delivering this important upgrade.“