Board ‘cops f lak’ over cameras

A central Southland community board member says he has copped flak for voting against a proposal to install new crime prevention cameras in Winton.

Chris Herud was one of five Oreti Community Board members who voted against four new cameras being installed in the town’s main street, despite police and the town’s business association saying they were needed.

The other board members voting against the proposal were Katie Allan, Dave Diack, Karen Maw and Tracy Kennedy.

Yesterday, Herud said he agreed the issue should be revisited, but first the board needed more information. This included detailed costings, whether the old cameras had solved crime, and around privacy issues.

That information was lacking when it first went to vote, which was a reason it was rejected, he said.

The board members were told the estimated costs would be $40,000, to be funded from the Winton property sales reserve. However, Herud wanted more details.

“I am sort of copping flak, because people are accusing me of trying to stop it. But I am just trying to get information.”

He said one of the board members, who also voted against new new cameras, wanted to first be reassured on how the information gathered would be used.

Board chairperson Colin Smith – one of the three board members who wanted the crime prevention cameras installed but were outvoted – said he had received a lot of feedback from “unhappy” people about the board’s decision.

“The community wants the cameras replaced.”

He wanted the board to re-look at the issue with some urgency, saying he expected more community feedback at its next meeting on April 15.

Once the board voted down the cameras, investigations into the final costings stopped, Smith said. He expected the board to soon seek a detailed report from council staff on costings and privacy issues regarding the cameras.

“We have to gather the information and make [another] decision.”