Increasing failures in local authority CCTV systems are causing UK residents anxiety about crime and community safety. Recent reports have revealed that thousands of public cameras are not working, sparking concern that both deterrence and detection are being undermined.

Out of action

In Croydon, nearly a third of council cameras were out of action in April 2025. Although this is an improvement on 2023’s 58% failure rate, persistent blackspots still compromise police investigations. Glasgow faces a similar issue: one in four cameras in the city centre is currently inactive, with local officers warning that theft and hate crime cases are becoming harder to solve.

Public vs private

Public networks appear to suffer higher fault rates than the many private commercial and domestic systems installed by specialists such as https://apmfireandsecurity.com/cctv-installation/cctv-installation-cheltenham. This seems to be the result of maintenance costs rather than intrinsic technological weaknesses.

Poor maintenance

In Ashford, prolonged technical failures and limited upkeep suggest deeper funding problems. Residents there fear the network is being quietly neglected, with budgets squeezed and repair work delayed. Elsewhere, operational reductions are worsening the problem. Glasgow’s control centre no longer provides full day coverage, monitoring only from mid afternoon to early morning. Meanwhile, councils in Conwy and Caerphilly are bracing for more cuts in 2025-26.

A mixed picture

Some areas are largely problem free. For example, the town centre CCTV Cheltenham works well. The council owns the town-centre system, but it is operated and monitored by Gloucestershire Police, which is sufficient to reassure the public about its reliability and evidential effectiveness.