A CENTRE bringing together images from hundreds of CCTV cameras across the city has opened ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Previously, 62 cameras operated by Traffcom were used to monitor only Glasgow's roads and keep the city moving, while the 440 CCTV cameras run by Community Safety Glasgow monitored only incidents in and around the city.

For the first time, images collected by both organi-sations have come together in one centre, where the more than 500 cameras can be used for both traffic and incidents.

A team of police officers has been seconded to the new unit in London Road to ensure the alarm can be raised as quickly as possible on the roads and in the city.

They will also have access to the city's network of live and recorded CCTV footage. The new centre will also oversee the installation of advanced digital cameras, which can be programmed to detect unusual activity and trigger an alarm alerting the emergency services.

Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson officially opened the Glasgow Operations Centre, at Eastgate, in London Road.

He said: "This is a state-of-the-art facility housing our city's entire network of traffic cameras and public space CCTV, which will allow us to keep the city running and keep people safe.

"Having both teams working together and operating under the same roof allows access to more information, more intelligence and quicker identification of incidents on our roads and streets.

"It's a key element of our Future Cities Glasgow programme, which is demonstrating what a smart city can be like.

"It will also play an important role in keeping our city running smoothly during the Commonwealth Games.

"Glasgow will be open for business during the Games, but it will not be business as usual and the opening of this centre shows we are getting ready."

Research found 52 of the 62 cameras used by Traffcom, which is respons-ible for traffic lights and traffic cameras, are trained on areas not monitored by Community Safety Glasgow.

And 156 of the 440 cameras operated by CSG, which monitors anti-social behaviour and other incidents, are also benefit-ing traffic operations.

Traffcom was previously based in Elmbank Street and the CSG at Blochairn.

The new centre is funded from a £24million govern-ment grant to show the local authority can bring together transport, communications and other services to improve the economy, quality of life and to reduce environmental impact.

vivienne.nicoll@eveningtimes.co.uk