Community board says no to upgrade for cameras
A Southland community board has voted against crime prevention cameras being upgraded in Winton, despite police and the town’s business association saying they are needed.
Business association president Daphne Fairbairn has expressed her disappointment at the board’s decision, saying it was short-sighted and she did not think the board was representing the people of Winton.
The cost of the camera upgrades would have been $40,000, to be funded from the Winton property sales reserve.
Fairbairn said clear camera footage on the streets would help police solve crime and enhance public safety.
Board members Katie Allan, Dave Diack, Chris Herud, Tracy Kennedy and Karen Maw voted against four cameras being installed in the town.
The three board members who wanted the cameras, but were outvoted, were chairperson Colin Smith, deputy chair Philip Dobson and Southland District councillor Darren Frazer.
Fairbairn said the business association would start a campaign to highlight the need for the cameras, in the hope that the board would revisit the issue and change its mind.
A police spokesperson confirmed it had asked the board to consider upgrading the Winton crime prevention cameras.
The cameras were first installed and funded by the community board in 2002, and wer upgraded by the board in 2015.
“The cameras are now at the end of their life and no longer fit for purpose,” the police spokesperson said.
Senior Sergeant Pete Graham approached the community board last year, suggesting that it increase the number of cameras from three to six.
This followed a number of offences
reported in the main street that fit-for-purpose cameras would have captured but the ageing system did not, the spokesperson said.
“Police absolutely supports having upgraded CCTV in Winton, and will be looking to discuss the board’s decision further.”
Diack said the board was asked to put up the money for the cameras and chose not to.
He said board members had asked a lot of questions, including about the crime statistics in Winton, but had not received the answers from police to be able to make an informed decision on spending $40,000 of ratepayer money on the cameras.
“On top of that, the cost of the cameras had increased significantly [in recent months].”
Herud said he had not seen any evidence that the cameras would be a game changer for crime in Winton. He said he was on the board to represent all the ratepayers, not just the business association or police.
“It’s not community board business – it’s the police’s business to [deal with] crime.”
His priority was to represent the people and keep rates down because people were struggling, he said.
Most of the people he had talked to had wanted the cameras, Herud said. But when he told them that they would pay for the cameras, and suggested to them that the police or business association do it themselves, most had changed their minds and said they didn’t want them.
Smith said he was disappointed that the five board members had voted down the cameras.
“I felt they weren’t taking in the views of the wider community. As a community board, we have a responsibility for the safety of our community. The cameras are there and getting old. It’s a logical step to replace them.”
Dobson, the board’s deputy chair, confirmed that he also supported the camera upgrade, saying the money was coming from reserves and would not have cost ratepayers extra. “They are there for the protection of the community. I think it’s a no-brainer.”
Southland District mayor Rob Scott said the decision was for the elected members on the board. “My personal view is [the cameras] would be a valuable addition.”