North Tyneside Council has become a regional leader in CCTV technology, investing in a new generation of cameras to help keep communities safe and make our neighbourhoods places we can all be proud of.
More than 200 new cameras are being rolled out across the borough, with around half of these already installed in areas with the highest levels of need, risk and footfall. These include town centres and busy public spaces in North Shields, Meadow Well, Wallsend, the Fish Quay, Whitley Bay and Howdon, as well as North Tyneside Council Customer First Centres.
The initial investment of around £300,000 is less than the cost of replacing the old system which was reaching the end of its life. The new system delivers far more capability.
The new platform uses artificial intelligence to provide faster, smarter ways of identifying and responding to issues. Instead of staff spending hours searching through footage, the new AI-powered system will allow enforcement teams to carry out real-time searches in seconds. This makes investigations into anti-social behaviour and other offences much more efficient and allows the council and its partners to respond quickly to potential incidents.
The new platform will also strengthen collaboration between the council and its partners, including Northumbria Police, who will now be able to request footage without needing exact times or dates. Instead, a description of a suspect or vehicle will be enough for the system to locate relevant footage, creating a shared intelligence-led approach to improve public safety across the borough.
The cameras have automatic motion detection and can send alerts when unusual activity is detected, such as large groups congregating, giving the council and police an early warning to step in before issues escalate.
North Tyneside Council is committed to ensuring that CCTV is used safely, responsibly and in line with data protection requirements. The system has been designed with privacy in mind from the outset. This includes the use of built‑in ‘privacy zones’, which block out views of private homes and any areas where people reasonably expect privacy.
To further safeguard individuals, the system also has the capability to apply live face‑blurring when images are being monitored. These measures help ensure that CCTV is used only for its intended purpose, keeping people safe, while protecting the privacy of our residents and visitors.
All staff operating the system are accredited and follow strict professional guidelines, with oversight from the Information Commissioner’s Office and in line with national surveillance rules.
This investment supports the ambitions set out in the Our North Tyneside Plan 2025–2030, which commits to building safe, secure neighbourhoods and using technology wisely to deliver the best value for residents.