Gunnedah CCTV network to be boosted to 41 cameras

The NSW government has announced it will put $32,000 towards the project, adding to Gunnedah Shire Council’s $15,000.

Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the council would administer the network and, if needed, would also provide access to police to help in their work.

“Council have been investing heavily into our CCTV and very, very focused on crime prevention for a very long time in this community,” Cr Chaffey said.

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“This next stage will take us into a position that we’ll now have full coverage of the main street of Gunnedah, and of course that means that our community can feel very, very safe as they go about just living in this great community that Gunnedah is …

“Believe me, if you’re doing the wrong thing [and] you’re in the main street of Gunnedah, you’re not going to hide.”

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said the cameras would also be a deterrent to crime, and make retailers and shoppers feel safer.

“If potential offenders know they’re being watched, they’re less likely to cause trouble, which will make Gunnedah a safer place to live and work.”

However, Mr Anderson said that, while a CCTV camera was an effective tool, it was only one “part of a jigsaw puzzle”.

“You might get a piece here, you might get a piece there, and eventually that does come together and it allows police then to go … ‘That’s who we’re targeting and that’s who we’re looking for’,” he said.

“It comes down to reporting crime; you’ve got tell police if you see something suspicious … if they don’t know about it, then they can’t act upon it.”

The state government funding is through the NSW Community Safety Fund.