Media release
28 February 2012

Pukekohe town centre gets cameras

The CCTV cameras installed recently in Pukekohe’s town centre to reduce crime and nuisance behaviour are already paying off.

A camera operator notified the police after noticing antisocial behaviour in the shopping area and several people were spoken to by police.

“The cameras are already doing the job they’re designed for – catching undesirable behaviour on video so offenders can be prosecuted,” says Franklin Local Board member Paul Muir.

The cameras are monitored live seven days a week by a security company and incidents reported to police as they occur.

“The cameras are an example of the board and the community cooperating.

“We worked closely with the Pukekohe Business Association, which helped decide on the number of cameras and where to put them.

“The system is designed to be added to and improved as the need arises and we’ll ask for their advice on that as well.”

The camera operators can follow offenders or victims around the town centre by switching from camera to camera, recording high definition video, which can be used in court as evidence.

The storage and use of the video is governed by the Privacy Act 1993 and using a private contractor for monitoring means it can only be accessed by authorised people for legitimate purposes.

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