Australian Institue of Criminology

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Open-street CCTV in Australia

Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 271

Dean Wilson and Adam Sutton
ISBN 0 642 53827 1 ISSN 0817-8542
Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, November 2003

Abstract

In Australia 'open-street' or 'town centre' CCTV refers to visual surveillance systems established in the main by local government authorities in cooperation with police to monitor public spaces such as malls and major thoroughfares. This paper is therefore not concerned with other uses of CCTV such as its deployment on public transport networks, within privately regulated commercial spaces such as casinos and shopping malls, or in retail outlets. The results presented are drawn from a wider study that collected data on all 33 Australian schemes. In-depth interviews were conducted with relevant personnel in 22 CCTV systems, and more detailed site inspections were undertaken in seven locations. The authors discuss the findings of existing research on the effectiveness of open-street CCTV in preventing crime, and then consider the establishment, operation and management of current Australian systems. Pertinent areas covered include: reasons for installation; community consultation processes; funding, operator practices and communications with police; auditing, accountability, public awareness and evaluation. The paper concludes by outlining fundamental considerations that should be taken into account in the future deployment of CCTV in public areas.

This paper is taken from the report of research undertaken with the assistance of a grant from the Criminology Research Council.