Mrs Aitchison was responding to a push by Maitland councillor Brian Burke to beef up security in The Levee and suggestions from the public to install CCTV.

A poll conducted by Fairfax Media revealed more than 60 per cent of readers would like to see the installation of CCTV with other supported more police patrols and the employment of security guards.

Recent destruction of landscaping at Maitland’s No. 1 Sportsground prompted Cr Burke to ask the community how they felt about security in the city and whether CCTV was the answer to stop vandalism.

Mrs Aitchison said CCTV is not the answer.

“CCTV has to be monitored and it costs money to have someone do that,” she said.

“Maitland police at the moment don’t have the resources to do that, go through CCTV footage etc.

“If someone on ice sees CCTV cameras they’re not going to run away, they will continue to do what they want. It won’t deter them.

“What we really need is to get police out walking the beat but the reality is that we just don’t have enough of them to do that.

“There are not enough police in Maitland to cope with the city’s fast growing population.

“The State Government has cut back Beresfield Police Station, it has closed Lochinvar Police Station.

“We need police on the street,” Mrs Aitchison said.

Mrs Aitchison told Fairfax Media on Tuesday that in a perfect world Central Hunter Local Area Command needs 20 addition police officers immediately