London – The mayor of New York has visited London to take notes on how the Tube’s CCTV network is used to fight crime and counter terrorism.

Michael Bloomberg met London Mayor Boris Johnson to view the surveillance system at Westminster Tube station.

It is believed he is considering increasing the use of surveillance cameras in Manhattan following a failed car bomb attack on 2 May.

There are currently 12,000 cameras on the London Underground network.

Mayor Bloomberg said: “I am here to learn from others, see what works best and try to fix things before they become a problem.”

CCTV has played a prominent role in the battle against terrorist threats in London over recent years.

During the investigations into terrorist attacks on 7 July and 21 July 2005, London Underground provided the police with more than 18,000 tapes and 300 hard drives.

Boris Johnson has said he now intends to raise the number of cameras on the Tube network by more than 2,000 over the next few years.

Should these plans go ahead, everybody who enters the Underground network will have their face recorded.

The London mayor said: “We are never complacent, and there are always painful reminders that we must never let down our guard, but it is clear that the approach we are taking – with sustained investment in policing and CCTV – is helping us make significant strides along the road of tackling crime in our city.”

British Transport Police Deputy Chief Paul Crowther and Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy were also there to welcome Mr Bloomberg.

Mr Crowther said: “Crime is down on the Tube which shows that people are even safer when they travel. CCTV cameras across the network are critical to achieve this year-on-year crime reduction.”

Figures released by British Transport Police suggest crime on the Tube and DLR network fell by 4% over the past year.

(Source: BBC)