North Shore Times (New Zealand)
CCTV use rises to one per 300 Aucklanders
Auckland Transport has admitted to breaching the Privacy Act after not signposting new CCTV cameras at an Auckland beachside car park.
Piha resident Julia Woodhouse noticed three cameras at the beginning of summer, one of which appeared to peer into a property she managed.
‘‘There are no signs that there are cameras up there, no sign saying who to contact regarding them.’’
Media enquiries revealed the cameras were installed by Auckland Transport (AT) after a request by police.
The cameras in Piha were part of a growing reality in Auckland.
If you live in Auckland, more than 5577 publicly-funded cameras are potentially watching you and the police have access to every single one.
These numbers don’t include CCTV cameras installed by private businesses and for personal security.
Woodhouse, a member of Neighbourhood Watch, said the crime in the area didn’t warrant the new cameras in Piha.
‘‘I think it’s an invasion of the public’s privacy. It’s making everybody guilty.’’
However, AT spokesperson Mark Hannan said the cameras were fixed and couldn’t see into residents’ homes.
Hannan said the cameras should have been signposted when installed. Signs would now be put up.
The lack of signs informing the public of the cameras breached the Privacy Act because organisations must tell people they are collecting information about them.
GROWING REALITY
There was one publicly funded CCTV camera per 298 people in Auckland, a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request revealed.
The number of cameras has jumped by 44 per cent in three years, based on figures reported by the NZ Herald in 2015. Historic figures were not available from police or council.
Police were able to access both live and saved footage.
New Zealand Council of Civil Liberties chair Thomas Beagle said the increase in cameras illustrated just how pervasive video surveillance had become.
However, CCTV operations manager at Auckland Central police station Mark Wiig said the cameras were an invaluable tool in keeping people safe.