IT’S one of the recurring issues across the Bathurst region – the question of whether there should be a council-funded network of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras around the CBD.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The message from the community appears to be overwhelmingly in favour of the idea, and local police have also expressed support for CCTV as a useful tool to both deter crime and also identify offenders after a crime has been committed.
But Bathurst Regional Council has never come on board, despite many candidates at last year’s elections including CCTV as part of their policy platform.
Now two councillors – Bobby Bourke and Alex Christian – have made it an issue again.
As council’s thoughts turn to negotiations surrounding the 2018-19 management plan, councillors Bourke and Christian want to see money set aside to finally fund a full CCTV rollout.
They believe they will have the support of a majority of councillors, though nothing is guaranteed given the fractured nature of the current council.
As it stands, council offers financial assistance for businesses looking to install cameras of their own but has consistently rejected overtures from the business community and general public to fund its own cameras.
The argument for a council-run CCTV network is that it would ensure blanket coverage of the city centre and also provide a one-stop solution for police officers who were investigating crime in the CBD.
The argument against a council-funded rollout – outlined in a 2013 report to council – was the [spurious] claim that such a program would be expensive and ineffective.
As the years go by, though, more and more the reason is becoming that the council network is no longer needed – and it’s hard to escape the conclusion that that was council’s intention all along.
As more businesses install cameras of their own, council will feel more and more justified in not doing the same.
That might be a canny way to save the expense of rolling out a fully integrated CCTV network, but it’s an abrogation of council’s responsibility to the community.
And that will leave Bathurst with a CCTV network that is neither comprehensive nor convenient for police.
It’s a result that no Bathurst business, nor resident, should celebrate. So if councillors Bourke and Christian can bring about a change, then the city will thank them.
