The community safety camera (CCTV) project is now complete, just in time for Christmas. The project, made possible with Department of Internal Affairs Better Off Funding, includes the installation of 33 new cameras and the upgrade of 11 existing cameras. It also means there is now 24/7 live monitoring in place throughout the Whakatāne District.
Whakatāne District Council General Manager Strategy and Transformation, Steven Perdia, says there is much to celebrate with the project coming in on time and under budget.
“Whakatāne District residents can feel confident that there is a comprehensive camera network located throughout the rohe as we head into the busy summer holiday period,” Mr Perdia explains. “This includes constant monitoring by an independent security firm that has direct communications with NZ Police. People can also rest assured knowing we have installed 14 ANPR cameras at key entry and exit points to our district.”
ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras have the ability to do exactly as the name suggests, identifying individual vehicles of interest and automatically advising police about stolen car movements. This is particularly relevant for ram raids, which most often involve stolen vehicles.
However, Mr Perdia says the monitoring aspect covers a wide range of issues, not only those concerning vehicles.
“The monitoring team is also looking for emergency or life-threatening situations such as fires and medical events and suspicious behaviour like break-ins, graffiti and illegal dumping,” he says. “It’s an effective security measure across several community safety issues.”
There are now 80 cameras situated throughout the Whakatāne District, including in Murupara, Tāneatua, Edgecumbe, Thornton, Whakatāne and Ōhope. The locations of the new cameras were identified by key stakeholders and the wider community during a robust consultation process earlier in the year, alongside recommendations from independent security and CCTV experts.
There is also potential for further enhancements to the network, including more stationary cameras and a mobile unit.
“The initial phase has come in under budget, which is a fantastic outcome in the current cost escalation climate,” explains Mr Perdia. “This allows us to explore extending the monitoring contract, other lower-priority camera locations and look into procuring a mobile unit, which can be moved around the district to any areas of particular concern.”
In 2022, the Council received $1 million from the Better Off Fund to deliver and upgrade the existing community safety camera network with modern cameras, add more cameras and improve system monitoring abilities. The project is a collaboration between Whakatāne District Council and NZ Police, with input from independent security experts and the wider Whakatāne District community.