Liverpool’s City Watch CCTV network, comprising 480 cameras that monitor large areas of the city, has played a role in the handling of over 3,000 incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour since 2024, newly released figures have confirmed. The 24-hour operation is possible thanks to 175km of mainline fibre optic cable that is used to transmit images to a central control room. The City Watch staff works in cooperation with other agencies, including Merseyside Police and Merseytravel, to respond to incidents as they occur.
The network has been instrumental in tackling everything from assaults to knife crimes, with 557 and 203 incidents respectively dealt with over the past year. Other successes recorded included the arrests of a man who was followed in suspicious circumstances and subsequently linked to a burglary and assault on a pregnant woman, a beggar who stole a mobile phone and a man who stole a purse before being stopped and arrested by police. Additionally, the network has been used to provide evidence in cases of fly-tipping and taxi licensing offenses.
The importance of the CCTV network to Liverpool’s ongoing retention of the prestigious Purple Flag status has also been recognised: the city has held this status for over 14 years. Cabinet Member for Community Safety Laura Robertson-Collins praised the continued role of the CCTV network in safeguarding the residents and visitors of Liverpool.
She added that the system plays an important role in maintaining the safety of the city’s thriving night-time economy, a key factor in Liverpool’s Purple Flag status, saying, “It not only helps prevent crimes before they happen, but provides vital evidence to secure convictions when cases come to court.” A new maintenance and development contract worth five years was approved at a recent council meeting
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