City cracks down on crime with increase in CCTV

Mayor, Ian Carpenter, and Federal Member for Durack, Melissa Price, welcome the new CCTV cameras to help prevent crime in Geraldton.

In a bid to crack down on crime the City of Greater Geraldton has welcomed 28 new CCTV cameras in three locations around the City.

Eleven new cameras are to be installed at the City’s Car Park No. 5 located on Sanford Street, nine new cameras at the Eastern Breakwater and eight new cameras at the HMAS Sydney II Memorial. This brings the City’s CCTV camera tally to over 100 cameras.

Mayor, Ian Carpenter, said whilst policing was a State Government responsibility, everyone needs to play a part in crime prevention. Whether its protecting your own home and property adequately, monitoring activity through CCTV or prevention prgrams, the application for CCTV funding from the Commonwealth was just one of the City’s commitments to help address crime and anti-social behaviour within the community.

“These new cameras, in addition with the existing cameras, prevent, deter and detect crime and increase perceptions of safety particularly around retail, entertainment and commercial areas that are susceptible to anti-social behaviour,” he said.

“CCTV helps the police not only identify offenders, but it also serves as a deterrent to the small minority of individuals who engage in criminality.”

The Federal Government has delivered $440,000 in funding for the project through the Safer Streets Programme.  

Federal Member for Durack, Melissa Price, said that community members had lobbied her to assist with pressing crime issues in Geraldton.

“Securing the funding for CCTV was one way of assisting and I am pleased that Minister Keenan agreed with me and made the funds available,” Ms Price said.

“I also organised a crime forum in Geraldton, with the support to the City, and with around 50 community members discussed the issue, including perception and reality and the role that social media plays.

“We all need to take some responsibility and work as a community with the authorities, to address crime and anti-social behaviour.”

The City employs various methods to help reduce crime in our community. These include the application of crime prevention through environmental design techniques, CCTV and crime prevention programs including Midnight Basketball and the Youth ‘n‘ Motion bus.