A surge in demand for body worn cameras is being credited with record turnover at an award-winning Rochdale manufacturer. Wireless CCTV – known as WCCTV – specialises in providing redeployable CCTV, site security, body worn cameras and time lapse video services.
The company, which has tripled the size of its workforce in three years to 82, has also seen its turnover treble in size since 2013 to £12.5m and is on track to hit £14.2m in 2020. Demand for its rapid deployment CCTV towers and 4G HD dome cameras has also soared with 95 per cent of local authorities in the UK using their products, alongside construction companies, police forces; retailers; and Network Rail.
David Gilbertson, CEO and co-founder, predicted significant growth in demand for the body worn cameras, which are already being used by traffic wardens, retail security guards and other frontline staff. Evidence collected by one of their cameras was recently used to help convict a motorist who threatened a traffic warden in Sheffield. Images and audio collected by the body worn cameras can be viewed in real-time by staff in a control room.
Gilbertson said: “We’ve sold 4,000 body cameras already, including to a number of big retailers, and we see it getting to the point where anybody dealing with a member of the public will have a body camera.” As well as providing reassurance to the user it also acts as a major deterrent to an aggressor. The arrival of 5G technology will see it grow even further because it will improve the coverage. “We’re hoping to work with a lot more UK police forces and other emergency services personnel going forward and as the manufacturer and supplier we can provide the exact solution to the customer’s problem.”
Gilbertson co-founded WCCTV alongside current chairman Tim Williams in 2001 and it has grown to become the UK’s leading manufacturer of deployable CCTV. The duo predicted the growth of the phone network would make it easier to transmit video so that all their security products are wireless. Gilbertson said: “Our technology is aimed at customers who need something rapidly. Fixed infrastructure can involve digging up roads and can be time-consuming and costly. Remote places can be difficult to get fixed infrastructure into whereas our technology is portable.
“If someone approaches one of our yellow rapid deployment CCTV towers on site an alarm gets sent back to the remote control room, which can then issue an audio challenge. If that doesn’t scare people away, which it does in many circumstances, they can then escalate to a law enforcement agency or a key-holding service.”
