On February 23, 2026, all local authorities across Oxfordshire agreed to join a countywide partnership to upgrade and expand the public camera network. According to Matthew Barber, the Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, this deal will lead to better camera coverage and improved safety in town centres and transport hubs across the region.
The project will move the monitoring of street cameras to a single central hub in Abingdon. This new site is expected to be working later in 2026 and will help Thames Valley Police gather clearer high-definition evidence for investigations and respond faster to local incidents.
Under the new agreement, the police will take over the ownership and the responsibility for maintaining the cameras from the local councils. This plan follows a similar model already used in Milton Keynes and Slough, which resulted in more hours of monitoring and newer equipment for those communities.
The deal comes after a period of public dispute in late 2025 regarding the timing and funding of the project. Councils including Oxford City Council and Cherwell District Council are part of the final partnership, with the latter already committing £250,000 toward high-definition camera upgrades.
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