POLICE have told Horsham Rural City Council that security cameras helped solve crimes since they were installed.
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Horsham’ had 17 cameras installed in 2013 across Horsham with a $190,000 grant from the Department of Justice’s Public Safety Infrastructure Fund.
Horsham council will expand the network with 15 new cameras thanks to a grant of more than $238,000.
The council will also link several additional cameras in May Park to Horsham police’s system as part of the park’s redevelopment project.
Councillor Mark Radford said the police community consultative committee met this month to discuss the cameras.
“One of the things we talked about with Horsham police Inspector Rebecca Olsen was the grant for further closed circuit television,” he said
“The new camera locations have been determined with council in an effort to fill some of the gaps in coverage.”
Cr Radford said the committee was told how the cameras were used to aid police work.
“It was interesting to hear the cameras are useful in tracking offenders to and from crime scenes,” he said.
“The police have many stories about the success of the cameras. Most recently, three offenders from one crime were identified through CCTV.”
Cr Radford said Horsham council was one the biggest spenders on municipal cameras in Victoria.
Cr David Grimble said the camera network did not meant that Horsham had more issues than any other regional city.
“Horsham is a very safe city and these cameras, as good as they are, are designed to assist,” he said.
“They do provide assurance to the public that if something happened late at night it would be recorded.
“The cameras’ visual clarity is very good.”
Cr Gimble asked Horsham council infrastructure director John Martin if the council or the state government would be responsible for the cameras.
“I assume council will take on maintenance and replacement of the infrastructure if they need to be replaced?” he said.
“I always get concerned about these initiatives when there is a significant cost. the state government can say ‘they’re yours now, in 15 years find some bucks to replace them.”
Mr Martin said maintenance was Horsham council’s responsibility