Open-street CCTV in Australia

In Australia open-street or town centre CCTV refers to visual surveillance systems established in the main by local government authorities in cooperation with police to monitor public spaces such as malls and major thoroughfares. This paper is therefore not concerned with other uses of CCTV such as its deployment on public transport networks, within privately regulated commercial spaces such as casinos and shopping malls, or in retail outlets. The results presented are drawn from a wider study that collected data on all 33 Australian schemes (Wilson & Sutton, 2003). In-depth interviews were conducted with relevant personnel in 22 CCTV systems, and more detailed site inspections were undertaken in seven locations. The authors discuss the findings of existing research, and then consider the establishment, operation and management of current Australian systems. The paper concludes by considering pertinent policy issues for the future deployment of CCTV in public areas.