The City of Sydney will fast-track the expansion of its CCTV network, with 10 new cameras set to be installed in late-night hot spots across Kings Cross, Surry Hills and the city centre starting this month.
Following Council endorsement, the City will engage Ausgrid to begin work installing the fibre optic cables needed to connect the new cameras, which can zoom, tilt and be rotated a full 360 degrees, to the control room at Town Hall.
Once the expansion is complete, a total of 98 cameras will operate across the City of Sydney.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the camera expansion was part of the City’s ongoing efforts to make Sydney’s streets safer after dark.
“We want the City to be an open, inclusive place where people feel safe and welcome at all hours,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Sydney’s late-night precincts face a range of complex challenges that require long-term investment from all levels of government and we’re committed to taking action wherever we can.
“We have consulted closely with NSW Police, local residents and businesses to determine the most appropriate locations for these cameras.
“This expansion of our CCTV network has the potential to make a real difference by assisting police in preventing, detecting and investigating crimes in some of our busiest late-night precincts.”
Between April 2004 and September 2012 the City installed 37 new CCTV cameras – a 74 per cent increase on the size of the network.
In addition to the installation of the new cameras, the City is also in the process of upgrading the recording and system management equipment used to operate its CCTV network that will allow for the use of high-definition digital cameras and enhanced recording capabilities.
The City’s network of CCTV cameras operates across Kings Cross, Woolloomooloo, Surry Hills, Glebe and the city centre. These cameras are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from the Security and Emergency Operations Centre at Town Hall.
Video footage is provided to NSW Police upon request in order to assist with investigations or legal proceedings.
Following a review of local crime mapping data and extensive consultation, including with the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation, the City selected the following locations for the new cameras:
Sussex Street and Druitt Street
Liverpool Street and Sussex Street
George Street and Rawson Place
Pitt Street and Goulburn Street
Liverpool Street and Castlereagh Street
Park Street and Castlereagh Street
William Street and Crown Street
William Street and Forbes Street
Llankelly Place and Darlinghurst Road
Oxford Street and Darlinghurst Road
