Council questioned on ageing CCTV network

by Bonnie Collings

A Warragul resident is questioning the responsibility of Baw Baw Shire Council in maintaining the local public CCTV camera network.

After a trek across Warragul in an attempt to track down footage of his car after it was stolen recently, Jarred (not his real name) discovered several cameras in the network were experiencing ongoing issues capturing footage, particularly at night.

"If public safety infrastructure exists to help prevent and investigate crime, residents deserve answers regarding whether these systems are functioning and, if not, why?" Jarred said.
Jarred's black Audi was stolen from the front yard of his Western Park Drv house, overnight on June 15. "I was home that whole time, I didn't hear anything at all," Jarred said.
Jarred's partner noticed the car was missing the following morning when she left for work.
This is where Jarred's search for his car began. He knew the car still had a slight oil leak after recent repairs, so set off to follow the trail across town.
Jarred said he walked across Warragul until he reached the Princes Fwy entrance where the oil leak trail was no longer visible. On his return home, Jarred said he checked in at businesses and locations with CCTV cameras that may have captured his car.
"A lot of businesses, their cameras face the front door and cover, at most, the parking spaces directly out in front of the businesses. However, I was informed by quite a number of businesses that there are council owned CCTV cameras," he said.
Jarred said when he determined the location of council operated cameras, he realised a number of them would have captured footage of his car and potentially the people driving it. But when he relayed the information to local police, Jarred was told several of the cameras didn't work.
"To learn that the things that we're paying our council to do, that they're meant to be maintaining for the safety of our community, they're not following through with, is disappointing," he said.
"I'm still very angry and frustrated and very sad - that car was my pride and joy."
Shire director of governance information service Martin Hopley said council was aware of ongoing problems with several cameras in the public CCTV camera network due to "network components, including solar batteries, reaching the end of their service life".
"Outages have become more frequent due to the camera network ageing," Mr Hopley said.
"Repairs are carried out as necessary, and council is exploring options for more substantial replacement of ageing infrastructure."
Mr Hopley said council understood community concerns regarding CCTV infrastructure and the role it played in supporting community safety.
"Council is aware of the issue and is considering options," he said. "While CCTV can assist with monitoring public spaces and supporting investigations, community safety is a shared responsibility involving a range of measures and agencies, with council playing a supporting role within its available resources and responsibilities."
There are seven CCTV cameras in the Warragul central business district, owned by council and monitored by police.
Following two recent criminal incidents at business in Albert St, The Gazette asked if the camera on the corner of Smith St and Albert St was operational at the time of offending.
Mr Hopley said the camera was functioning correctly, however the two criminal incidents were not captured. "The CCTV network relies on solar power, and the ageing battery system can make it difficult to maintain continuous overnight recording across all cameras. As a result, the two incidents in question were not captured."
Mr Hopley said a substantial financial and resourcing commitment was needed to improve the network.