$15,000 of CCTV to crack down on crime

A Mount Albert community patrol group is calling for $15,000 of CCTV cameras in the town centre to combat crime in the area.

A number of reported crimes in the shopping strip and residential areas of Mt Albert have resulted in a need to increase security, said the chairman of the Mount Albert Community Patrol, Tony Mayes.

Mr Mayes said currently there are three cameras monitoring the shopping strip on New North Road, but he believes three more need to be installed to help prevent crime.

“It’s a big ask to get CCTV in residential streets, but we can make a change in the shopping areas and local car parks,” said Mr Mayes.

The security cameras are estimated to cost $15,000 dollars in total, and approaches are being made to the Albert-Eden Local Board to help fund the project.

“The current three cameras only capture halfway down New North Rd shops and we need to extend that to cover various car parks,” said Mr Mayes.

Local resident Courteney O’Neill had her home on Seaview Terrace broken into last month, and said more cameras in the area would help people feel safer.

“There’s been a lot of crime around the area lately and there needs to be something done to address the issue.

“I want to see more cameras down the [residential] streets because that’s where my safety is compromised, not in the shopping centre,” said Miss O’Neill.

Chairman of the Albert-Eden Local Board, Peter Haynes, said overseas studies suggest that CCTV won’t stop crime.

“Its absolutely conclusive, CCTV will not prevent crime, but for some reason people believe it does,” said Mr Haynes.

The local board is progressing with a revamp project that aims to bring more people into the Mt Albert township and help stop crime.

Mr Haynes said the shopping centre is not well-populated and encourages miscreants to lurk around the area.

The Mt Albert-Eden Board is looking to redevelop the shopping strip on New North Rd to attract more people back to the area.

“Bringing people into the shopping strip is by far the most effective way of stopping crime problems,” said Mr Haynes.

Mr Haynes said he wants to see how the upgrade works before more money is spent on CCTV.

“It seems common sense to put CCTV up, but unfortunately that’s not how it can work in reality,” said Mr Haynes.