Media Release
Office of the Mayor of Auckland

10 December 2010

Mayor orders review of CCTV to fight crime

The Mayor has ordered a review of closed circuit television and its use in the battle against crime.

The review is one of the 100 projects launched by Len Brown in the first 100 days of the Auckland Council.

CCTV is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to prevent and detect crime as the technology becomes more widespread, sophisticated and cost effective.

The issue for the new Auckland Council is how best to coordinate the use of existing CCTV systems and to extend the use of CCTV in association with New Zealand Police, town centres, business associations and residents.

Private businesses, associations and agencies other than council own the vast majority of CCTV systems operating in the streets of Auckland.

Reported crime increased in all three of Auckland’s police districts last year. It increased by between 1.2% in the Waitemata Police District last year, 1.6% in Auckland City Police District and 6.9% in Counties Manukau.

“The use of CCTV is a proven tool in solving crime and making people feel safer,” says Len Brown. “We can reduce crime in Auckland by coordinating the way we use CCTV. We owe it to our people to make them feel as safe as we can in our streets.”

The review will be completed by March.

Ends

CCTV comments for Mayoral Office

CCTV is becoming increasingly popular as a tool to prevent and detect crime. This popularity is likely to increase as the technology becomes more widespread, sophisticated and cost-effective. CCTV systems can be used to increase perceptions of safety, deter criminal activity and to provide the evidentiary basis to detect and prosecute offending. Currently Council funds, owns/operates, and permits the use of CCTV technology on its assets (lamp posts etc). The arrangements are reflective of the resources, priorities and decisions of the former councils.

There are a number of CCTV systems in operation across the city. Some of these are owned and operated by Council (including Auckland Transport). The vast majority are however owned by private businesses, associations or agencies other that Council. Increasingly law enforcement agencies such as the Police are likely to use CCTV technology such as number plate recognition for detection and enforcement purposes. The Police are also a primary consumer of CCTV information from Council and other owners.

If Council is likely to promote widespread CCTV coverage in public places, the main issue for Council is under what circumstances and to what extent it contributes to establishing and maintaining these systems. The costs of widespread CCTV coverage across the city could be prohibitive if it is to be funded through general rates. Overseas there is a heavy reliance on Central or State tax funding rather than local authority rate funding. Given the fact that benefits are also localised, Local Board targeted rates are also a possible source of funding. Council therefore has to consider a number of funding options and the basis (including the threshold) that would trigger Council involvement. Other options such as advocacy to central Government and better co-ordination of existing systems should also be considered. Ultimately an appropriate balance between legitimate safety concerns, the economic burden on ratepayers and social costs such as intrusion on privacy is needed.

A scoping paper will be developed and options presented to the Mayoral office in March 2011 for further discussion and progress.

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