2013 Press Releases
CCTV launched near UCC
A joint initiative between An Garda Sίochána, Cork City Council and UCC, the official launch of a new closed circuit television system (CCTV) situated near the UCC Campus takes place on Wednesday 18 September in UCC.
Three CCTV cameras are now in place, strategically positioned for broad coverage, including near Brookfield, at the junction of Goal Walk and Highfield Ave, and at the junction of Donovan’s Rd and College Rd.
The cameras are already active and are monitored constantly by An Garda Sίochána at Anglesea Street Garda Station.
Attending the launch on Wednesday evening will be the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Catherine Clancy, members of An Garda Sίochána and Cork City Council, local residents and associations, the UCC Students’ Union and members of UCC staff including UCC President Dr Michael Murphy.
Michael McCormack, General Services Officer at UCC who was heavily involved in bringing the joint venture to fruition says: “The CCTV will compliment existing efforts in the area, with the primary aim of better ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the community, which includes local residents, UCC students, staff and passersby in general. This is the culmination of a project which has been sought for the past ten years, but which really took off in the last three years.”
The installation of the cameras represents a small but important milestone in the on-going efforts to improve the quality of life for all who reside in or pass through the area. UCC, An Garda Sίochána and Cork City Council, with encouragement from the local residents and elected representatives, were anxious to progress the project and agreed to jointly fund its completion.
A small group of people led by Supt Barry McPolin, with Sgt John Ryan, Ian Winning and Aidan Mahony from Cork City Council and Michael McCormack from UCC, were the main drivers of the scheme, assisted by their relevant colleagues as necessary.
Ian Winning, Senior Executive Engineer, Transportation Division Cork City Council says: “This collaboration is very much in line with our focus on supporting more sustainable mobility. Security for all pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users within a ‘Design for All’ approach is a key objective, quite apart altogether from the need to address anti-social behaviour. Our promotion of behavioural change to adopt more sustainable trips to and from the city centre must also take into account the need for improved road safety, more energy efficient route lighting and facilitate measures by other agencies, especially the Gardaí to secure personal security. The unique link between the city and the university, often described as ‘Town and Gown’, now has another dimension in the rebel city as CCTV and the associated fibre optic link to the city has gone live.”
The new system further compliments the CCTV network present in Cork city.