The Slough Trading Estate is Europe’s largest solely-owned trading estate. With over 450 businesses, it covers some 7.4 million square feet. It suffered from all the usual crimes – burglaries, criminal damage and car thefts. SEGRO, the managing company, realised it needed to beef up the estate’s Business Watch and patrol schemes. So they talked to us about installing CCTV.
We proposed and went on to install a sophisticated network of cameras across the site. This gave flexible and reliable, around-the-clock surveillance, leading to a dramatic drop in car crime. It also turned out to be a very costeffective solution.
Seeing off crime
Our planners and engineers worked closely with SEGRO. First of all we identified the best locations to site the network of cameras and the surveillance centre itself.
Then we installed a dedicated CCTV network. The cameras are controllable remotely, providing a 360° degree view of the whole estate. While the dedicated circuits keep the imagery more secure, allowing greater image quality.
Just to illustrate how clear the image quality is, car registration plates can now be read. SEGRO is even considering using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to help locate stolen cars or other vehicles that are wanted by the police in connection with crime.
Keeping an eye on costs
To help spread the cost of the project, the installation of the cameras and network was split into six phases. Each phase connected more and more cameras to the surveillance centre that is manned 24/7. Since installation, SEGRO has enjoyed all the benefits of an ultra reliable and resilient network – meaning estate security is fully covered.
It’s also a scalable solution, with our network planner keen to meet with any new businesses to discuss and plan their specific surveillance needs.
Surveillance figures that have to be seen to be believed
Crime has fallen dramatically since the installations. By 87% in fact. And there was even a 97% drop in car crime on the Bath Road Retail Park in 2009 compared with figures from 2001. (The year before the first of our cameras were installed.)
Not surprisingly, SEGRO has enjoyed increased business with more and more companies being attracted by the safe and secure environment it is now able to offer.
A snapshot from Slough Trading Estate
So how did we do? Here are some of the things SEGRO had to say about us.“ With network infrastructure that was already there, disruption was kept to a minimum and the cost of implementation was reduced.
“ Crime on the estate, including burglary, attempted burglary, criminal damage and car theft has reduced by a massive 87% since the CCTV cameras were installed.”
John Devine, Business Watch Manager, Slough Trading Estate
SEGRO case study
