Salford City Council has experienced a wealth of recent success using Hikvision’s IP cameras – to the extent that it has been standardising on Hikvision cameras across its public space surveillance network of 109 cameras. So when the chance arose to upgrade to a brand new 4K Smart PTZ camera, the Council jumped at it. The results, including increased viewing distances and image quality without a major impact on bandwidth, have been remarkable – and could revolutionise the way Salford uses CCTV cameras in future.
Salford City Council in Greater Manchester has truly embraced Hikvision technology to provide its video surveillance. Hikvision Darkfighter cameras are providing crystal clear night-time images, and the Council is upgrading to Hikvision cameras wherever there is a failure with a legacy camera.
Recently the opportunity arose for Salford Council to use one of the first 4K Smart IR PTZ cameras available in the UK. The Council had no hesitation in saying “yes please!”
Councillor David Lancaster, Lead Member for Environment and Community Safety, explains that the new camera is leading the way both in terms of performance and helping the Council manage budget reductions.
“Over the last five years Salford City Council has seen its government funding reduce by 40%. We’re having to manage that as well as helping combat crime, and the CCTV cameras are invaluable – as well as helping to detect missing people who might be vulnerable,” he says.
“With this technology we can reduce the number of cameras we use, requiring less capital but still getting the same results. In one instance, for example, we were able to decommission a camera which had developed a fault; instead of repairing or replacing it, we upgraded the other camera covering that street to a Hikvision IP model. That camera, courtesy of its Darkfighter technology and 23x zoom, can now see the full length of that road. We never would have been able to do that with the old technology.
