Yes, CCTV can help the Police in their investigations; however the Police still need to carry out a range of other thorough investigative measures before making any arrests. Studies in the UK found CCTV is effective in a narrow range of situations such as preventing motor vehicle theft from car parks but it is most effective when used with a range of other strategies including better lighting and increased collaboration between licensed venues, responsible service of alcohol and better transport strategies.
Won't CCTV make the community feel safer knowing that video surveillance is being used to catch criminals?
Bathurst is a very safe community without public space CCTV. The consultation undertaken in forming the Community Safety Plan indicated that most residents feel safe in the Bathurst Community. However CCTV is currently used in the Bathurst CBD. All major shopping centres', some businesses and some Council buildings have CCTV installed. NSW Police keep a register of businesses and organisations that have CCTV and encourages those businesses to register their system with them. This footage is not being monitored in live time, there are no Police or security staff sitting in a control room monitoring people's movements 24 hours a day. Research shows that CCTV can contribute to a false sense of security and lead to people taking less precautions in terms of personal safety.
Won't CCTV help Council in its duty to protect local business and the community?
CCTV does have merit for detection and apprehension but as a stand alone method of crime prevention it is ineffective. Council takes public security very seriously and as a member of the Bathurst Community Safety Committee is an active leader in initiating a range of strategies to reduce the incidents of crime such as reviewing street lighting, and identifying low cost security improvements, better public transport options and providing a range of education and awareness programs.
Doesn't CCTV help reduce the incidents of crime across the community?
The review of CCTV across Australia and internationally shows that CCTV is not supported as an effective crime prevention measure. In Australia CCTV has been shown to be effective in detecting violent offences but is not capable of preventing offenders who are largely acting on opportunity. The most common crimes in the Bathurst CBD are the opportunistic crimes of malicious damage and non-domestic related assault. These crimes are identified as having significant links to a person's level of intoxication. Studies across the world show that alcohol reduces inhibitions and increases risk taking behaviour, consequently CCTV has little impact on crime prevention in these cases.
Don't the benefits of CCTV installation outweigh the costs?
CCTV is an issue that attracts a broad diversity of opinions. These have all been considered in the Community Safety Committee's Working Party Report. The Australian Institute of Criminology in their 2009 CCTV Report warned that some Governments have fallen into the trap of rapid installation of CCTV system as a panacea for crime and found issues including: significant costs of maintaining and upgrading the systems; in some cases an increase in crime after installation; the geographic relocation of crime; and problems with monitoring surveillance footage. A conservative estimate of CCTV installation is between $300,000-$440,000 with Councils facing an average annual bill of $400,000 for monitoring, maintenance and evaluation.
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