Maitland council’s decision not to apply for federal money for CCTV cameras for key retail hubs is disappointing, particularly given the recent investment in revamping the CBD.
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On Tuesday night, councillors instead voted to spend $25,000 to enlist an expert to report on how crime prevention initiatives could be ramped up in Maitland, East Maitland and Rutherford.
This may be useful in the long run, and it could ultimately involve CCTV for The Levee and the Rutherford shopping precinct, but it means the process has been wound back to square one.
Part of the reason behind council’s decision was a five-year downward trend in crime in the Maitland local government area.
This is good news, but it wouldn’t bode well on the Safer Streets Program application form.
The statistics relate to the whole council area and were recorded before millions of dollars were invested in sprucing up The Levee.
The former Labor government promised money for the cameras just before the 2013 election, but lost office. The subsequent Coalition government rebadged the scheme and the city’s CCTV cameras were no longer on the table.
It’s not up to political parties to deliver their opposition’s promises, but the outcome was negative for Maitland.
After a spate of break-ins in The Levee and ongoing reports of anti-social behaviour at Rutherford last year, calls understandably increased for the cameras to be installed so trouble makers would either be identified and caught or deterred.
The political situation and the Maitland-wide crime statistics mean council doesn’t have a lot of options.
But the $25,000 for a report about crime prevention would better go towards CCTV cameras for The Levee to protect council’s investment.
