Swale Council Free Wifi

Swale Council may bring free WiFi in Sittingbourne, Sheerness and Faversham.

22:01 27 July 2019

Swale council cabinet has confirmed plans to upgrade the borough’s CCTV network and bring the service back under council control. Under the plans, the council may bring free WiFi in Sittingbourne, Sheerness and Faversham.

 

 

 

The 52-camera system is currently operated by the Medway Commercial Group, on behalf of the CCTV partnership with Medway, Maidstone and Gravesham councils.

 

 

 

Cllr Richard Palmer (Swale Ind), cabinet member for community at the council, said: "The current cameras are old, provide poor quality images and are operated from Strood. By returning the service in-house we can benefit from vital local knowledge and improved relationships with our partners in the police and wider community, which will help improve the service even more.

 

 

 

"We've repeatedly raised a number of concerns about the current partnership, but whilst they have made some recent attempts to improve, we have given them notice that we will be ending the arrangement.

 

 

 

"A new system will be cheaper to operate, and should more than pay for itself over time, even if we put some money aside every year to pay for future upgrades.

 

 

 

"Used correctly, CCTV can be an effective tool for making communities safer and now we have the chance to improve it to make sure people feel safe in the borough."