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AI-Powered Public Space Surveillance for a Safer Westminster
Westminster City Council partnered with North to deliver a £1.2 million state-of-the-art public space surveillance system, re-establishing a council-controlled CCTV network for the first time since 2017. Powered by advanced AI, the solution is transforming how the Council tackles anti-social behaviour (ASB) and crime across one of the UK’s busiest and most complex environments.
As the only inner London borough without a dedicated public space surveillance system, Westminster faced persistent complaints from residents and businesses about safety and ASB. The Council committed to a major investment to improve safety, restore public confidence, and ensure a more effective use of public funds.
The project’s primary aim was to make Westminster’s streets safer, ensure residents feel secure in their homes, and establish a modern, council-led surveillance system capable of supporting proactive crime prevention.
Working in close partnership with Westminster City Council, North planned and delivered 100 cameras, which quickly expanded by a further 100 to address ASB hotspots in areas such as Soho, Mayfair, and Leicester Square
Following persistent complaints from residents and businesses, the Council made the decision to invest in their public space surveillance, allowing them to monitor anti-social behaviour, crime and environmental hotspots, provide crucial support to crime prevention initiatives, and make their public spaces safer for residents and visitors.
North engaged with stakeholders, including the Metropolitan Police, Westminster MPs, and neighbouring authorities, to ensure a collaborative and transparent approach. Operating in high-footfall areas and around nationally significant landmarks required careful planning and out-of-hours installations to minimise disruption.
To maximise value and efficiency, North proposed a shared services model, with Westminster feeds monitored at Hammersmith & Fulham’s control centre. This approach reduced set-up and operational costs, strengthened cross-borough collaboration and provided access to specialist expertise.
The new system is already delivering tangible results in assisting the police with arrests, enabling faster, intelligence-led responses, and improving safety in public spaces. The deployment also directly supports Westminster’s After Dark Strategy 2025–2040, with 67 cameras enhancing safety and inclusivity in key night-time economy areas between 6pm and 6am.
Between April 2025 and December 2025 over 1000 positive image captures have taken place that have moved to investigation and enforcement. At least 80 arrests have been made as a direct result of camera intervention.
“Anti-social behaviour and crime in our communities blights the lives of residents across Westminster and as a Council, we want to do what we can to help tackle it. This new local CCTV camera network will help keep an eye on ASB hotspots in local communities across the city, assist the police in identifying wrongdoers and provide the evidence to support work to design out crime.
“The safety of our residents is of utmost importance, and we want to play our part in helping keep our streets safer and to ensure that residents feel more secure in their own homes.”
Councillor Adam Hug
Leader of Westminster City Council
North delivered:
- Scalable public space surveillance system with specialist AI-driven audio and noise detection supporting real-time incident alerts
- Integration of Genetec’s Security Center and Clearance for secure, streamlined and collaborative digital evidence sharing with the Metropolitan Police
- End-to-end backhaul design and connectivity to support live intelligent video surveillance
The results:
- Significantly improved situational awareness across ASB hotspots
- Proactive alert-driven responses enabling faster intervention and prevention
- More effective deployment of council and police resources
- Reduced operational costs and improved outcomes through cross-borough collaboration
