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They'll be Watching You By Mark Skelsey 8/4/05 |
Since they were installed in 1998, only city council security staff has been authorized under privacy laws to monitor the 50
CBD cameras from a Town Hall video room.
These staff then transfers live images to local police commands when they spot crimes in progress.
Police have been alerted when the
security cameras have spotted serious crimes such as robbery, assault, extortion, firearms offences, sexual assault, drug trafficking and malicious damage.
But Lord Mayor Clover Moore told The Daily Telegraph that police monitoring might be the way to go in countering terrorism.
Ms. Moore was impressed by the Perth system, where police monitor video feeds from up to 80
security cameras.
"Perth police provide an officer in the
CCTV room, so there are very quick response times," she said.
"In the current climate, public safety outweighs privacy concerns when it comes to closed circuit television."
Council for Civil Liberties President Cameron Murphy said the move would enable police to target minor crimes such as littering, urinating or skateboarding on footpaths.
A Police Association spokesman said police should have access to the video feed "at all times."
Some police officers said it could take several days to obtain
CCTV images, which can slow down an investigation. Source: dailytelegraph.news.com.au |
