Northampton Borough Council (NBC) is striving, like the NRCI, towards making Northampton a safer place for everyone - residents, shoppers and businesses.

With the full support of Northamptonshire Police and the local business community the NBC, along with Daventry and Wellingborough councils have installed a network of close circuit television cameras (CCTV).

CCTV was first introduced to Northampton in 1989 and has expanded dramatically. As at May 2009 there are 603 cameras covering Northampton as well as Daventry and Wellingborough.

The ability to communicate by radio is a useful tool for retailers in the fight against crime. Through membership of the Retail Radio Link (for retail shopping outlets) or Publink (for licensed premises) businesses can share information with each other using radios linked to the CCTV Control Room. Membership to the Retail Radio Link provides not only reassurance to staff and a quick and easy way to share information but should an incident occur, CCTV staff will be able to monitor the situation using one of their high tech cameras. All images are transmitted back to the Northampton control room by fibre-optic cables, recorded and held for a maximum of 31 days. The CCTV system operates 24/7 and is also linked to the Police's Communication Centre at Force Headquarters.

During 2008, 2343 incidents were reported to CCTV via the Retail Radio Link and 482 arrests were made.

Northampton CCTV was selected in 2001 as one of eight centres in the UK to trial the Automatic Number Plate Recognition on behalf of the Home Office. The ANPR system recognizes and records vehicle number plates. Using a high speed modem link details of the number plate are sent through to the Police National Computer and within 5-6 seconds CCTV operators are alerted that the vehicle is of interest to law enforcement agencies. A dedicated team of ANPR police officers – mainly on motorcycles – can then be dispatched to intercept the vehicle. The ANPR is a very effective tool in combating travelling criminals – including of course, shoplifters and fraudsters. In 2008, 108 arrests were made as a result of ANPR interceptions.

The NRCI strongly recommends that members join the Retail Radio Link.

Full details on the cost of joining and hiring radios can be obtained from NBC Community Safety Team on 01604 837752 or email communitysafety@northampton.gov.uk