A 24-year-old Coolbellup resident is alleged to have smeared human excrement along two walls at the reserve’s clubrooms on November 23, causing $250 damage. He will appear in Fremantle Magistrates Court in May charged with damage, with the City seeking to recover cleaning costs.
Police tracked down the |alleged culprit using CCTV footage supplied by Cockburn’s CoSafe security service and help from the public, who were able to put a name to a face.
Murdoch Local Policing Team 3 Constable Courtney Roberts said it was good result.
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“It’s disgusting.”
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The vision was caught on CCTV installed six months prior.
The City installed 31 cameras at the Coolbellup library, car park, tennis court, skate park and Len Packham clubrooms in May as part of its $190,000 Coolbellup hub CCTV project.
The cameras record 24 hours a day, with CoSafe able to retrieve footage as needed.
“If there is criminal activity around council facilities with CCTV, the City will look to prosecute and recover costs for repairs and cleaning,” CCTV surveillance and support officer Gurdeep Singh said.
Authorities had a similar win in Success, with CCTV helping to identify two teens who allegedly smashed 10 bollard lights at the Cockburn Integrated Health Centre, causing more than $22,000 damage.
The 14-year-old Hammond Park boy and 14-year-old Kwinana girl were also filmed allegedly setting fire to the rubber playground at the Cockburn Youth Centre a few hours later.
The repair bill was $550. The pair was charged and will appear in court over the coming weeks.
Cockburn police station officer-in-charge James Bradley said extra resources were being put into a really busy area.
“The City of Cockburn, CoSafe and police are working together to monitor anti-social behaviour and criminal activity very closely,” he said.