POLICE will have increased access to the City of Cockburn’s expansive CCTV network following the donation of two laptops by the City.
Officers at Cockburn and Murdoch police stations will be able to monitor all cameras within public areas, which makes up more than two-thirds of the City’s network.
Under the agreement, police will be able to request any footage from the City via the laptops.
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READ NOWPolice will also be able to access the City’s moveable Rapid Deployable Cameras in hotspot areas, and will be able to use the CCTV for reactive investigations or during events.
Rangers and community safety manager Mike Emery said it made sense for the police to have access to their CCTV network, which numbers around 500 cameras and is one of the biggest in the State.
“The growth of the network has led to a number of inquiries from WA Police on possible captured footage of criminal acts,” he said.
“As the network grows, the City wants to ensure the cameras being installed are useful for the police and that they are able to access the system.
“The City, just like the WA Police, has strong data security policies so for this reason it was a mutual decision for the City to supply the laptops.”
Cockburn council’s CCTV policy is currently under review and proposed changes include the ability to negotiate the use of private land for CCTV infrastructure and implementation of covert cameras in isolated areas that do not require signage.