A $A2 million State Government plan to promote safer public spaces for the community over the next 4 years will see 7 South Australian councils share $A450,000 in grants to install CCTV systems, security lighting and other technologies to improve safety in local crime hotspots, provided they match the funding dollar for dollar.
Adelaide City Council will receive $95,000 for its Improving CCTV Outcomes Project, which aims to reduce the incidents and seriousness of crimes against the person (including alcohol-related violence) through improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Adelaide City Council's monitored City Safe CCTV network.
The project has 2 key aspects, firstly, the implementation of Key Performance Indicator (KPI) software for recording and reporting on KPIs relating to the performance of the CCTV network and operators (who monitor the network) and secondly, the trial and implementation of video analytics software on the network. Video analytics is designed to learn usual behaviours based on the motion flow in a camera's field of view. Once a scene’s normal behaviour is established, the software will alert security personnel to abnormal event detection, such as vandalism or theft.
Meanwhile, the District Council of Ceduna in South Australia has invited expressions of interest for the supply and installation of CCTV cameras and associated infrastructure in Ceduna. New digital CCTV cameras funded in part by a grant of $53,000, will be installed in the Ceduna central business district and Ceduna Airport, in addition to 2 wireless mobile cameras. Ceduna’s project will include the installation of monitoring, recording and control hardware at the Ceduna Council office and the Ceduna police station.
The City of Holdfast Bay will receive $60,000 for its Holdfast Bay Costal CCTV Upgrade. While the northern part of Holdfast Bay (Glenelg) has developed its CCTV coverage due to the dry area and entertainment precinct, the south of the jurisdiction has fallen behind. As Brighton and Seacliff (also dry areas) are significantly growing in popularity, Council will use its $60,000 funding to broaden its surveillance network to include identified areas both along the coastal walk as well as in some prominent coastal reserves.
The City of Mitcham will use funding of $25,000 to install CCTV cameras and associated lighting at Windy Point car park to reduce vandalism of council property and improve community safety. There are personal safety and hoon driving issues, with the local restaurant often reporting concerns of staff and patrons. The benefits will be a reduction in the high number of vandalism incidents and improvements in public safety for the community.
Meanwhile, the City of Salisbury will use $35,000 to assist funding a project to enhance security related infrastructure via improved lighting, CCTV capabilities and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) landscaping to support safer place activation of Salisbury Oval, Memorial Street, the Seniors Centre and RSL, directly linking Salisbury Interchange. The proposed CCTV & related elements will assist in discouraging ongoing crime and anti-social behaviours and help to encourage greater active community use and ownership of these facilities.
At the same time $88,000 in funding will go to the Salisbury CBD CCTV Net project enhances security-related infrastructure via increased CCTV surveillance within the Salisbury CBD area, encouraging increased place activation of the city centre between Anne and Gawler Streets, incorporating most access routes directly feeding Salisbury's CBD. Proposed installations will discourage ongoing crime and anti-social behaviours, increase detection of offenders and help to encourage greater active community use and ownership of community facilities.
The Flinders Ranges Council will use its $50,000 funding for its CCTV for our Communities project, which will see the installation of CCTV in the Quorn and Hawker communities to enable council to promote community safety and reduce anti-social behaviour such as hoon driving and vandalism.
Finally, $80,000 funding will help pay for the City of Mount Gambier CCTV Project, which will upgrade and extending the City of Mount Gambier’s CCTV surveillance camera system. The City of Mount Gambier has a number of existing CCTV cameras in various locations, however, SA police often report incidents where existing CCTV cameras have failed to provide enough visual quality to identify both suspects and victims of crime – the upgrade will seek to resolve this.
“CCTV installation plays a crucial role in tackling crime and promotes safer public places for the community,” Acting Premier John Rau said. “Our Government is committed to working with the community to ensure people feel safe in our streets and is providing grant funding of $2 million over the next four years to councils for CCTV projects. This is the first rounds of grants to be issued as part of this commitment.”
Mr. Rau said cameras installed in the Adelaide CBD have helped reduce crime and increase conviction rates.
"It's effective in a preventative sense," Mr. Rau said. "Basically police are able to take advantage of it. Most people realise that if you misbehave in front of one of those cameras the chance of prosecution is pretty high."♦
