Dannevirke: CBD cameras show their worth

Peter Wimsett shows Barbara Ferguson a view of the back alley off Gordon St. Photo / Christine McKay

"We've caught the b*****d," was the delighted reaction of Peter Wimsett when newly installed CCTV cameras in Dannevirke's CBD identified the alleged offender involved in a daylight robbery.

Mr Wimsett, Tararua District Council's manager of strategy and district development, was at the forefront of the drive for security cameras for the town. Two weeks ago, shortly after the cameras began rolling, an incident occurred on High St and the resulting security camera footage helped to apprehend a suspect.

"We had an approximate time of the incident and I checked the camera footage and discovered an image which matched the description of the alleged offender as he made his way down the side of the town hall," Mr Wimsett said.

"I was able to print out a large A3 picture for the police and also showed it to council staff."

A council staffer driving home that night spotted the man in the photo and Mr Wimsett was able to contact police with information which has led to an arrest.

Senior Sergeant Clifford Brown, of the Tararua Police, said he was grateful the community had rallied to raise the money necessary for the cameras.

"This new system is a fantastic example of a community coming together and the evidence gained from footage following the street robbery will certainly help," he said.

"The benefit of these cameras is that they deploy in real time and give us a look at what is happening in hot spots before criminal activity occurs. In other districts, camera footage has been a great tool for us to go back and put together what has happened in homicides and serious assaults."

Suresh Patel, chairman of the Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce, said the CCTV cameras were another tool to help prevent crime.

"The combined effort of everyone has helped to make our town so much more safer."

Mr Wimsett said while the CCTV project was initiated in March 2011 by Dannevirke Promotions and Development group, it was Inspire Net's ducted system, first began in 2006, which allowed the project to go ahead.

"Dannevirke is now one of the safest places in New Zealand according to a crime prevention officer with the police and we're using this to brand our town," he said.

"Camera installation will be at saturation point with probably 50 cameras in the CBD. When you compare this to Wellington with only 30, we're creating a much higher level of personal accountability for our community."

Tararua District Council has spent $140,000 on the ducted network district-wide, with CCTV cameras installed in Eketahuna (4), and Pahiatua (4).

Woodville and Norsewood communities are also planning to install cameras.

James Watts, the owner of Inspire Net, said he'd become involved after one of his staff was beaten up in the square in Palmerston North.

"He received a shattered cheek and the lost the sight in one eye and was laid up for six months.

"However, the cameras are only good if someone watches them."

The council has joined forces with the Palmerston North City Council for footage to be monitored 24/7 at the Palmerston North Police Station, while the Dannevirke Police Station is also able to view footage.

Dannevirke Community Board member Ernie Christison said with an arrest already as a result of the CCTV surveillance, it showed the system was needed. Bob Dresser, chairman of the community board, said the project would not stop and, with an additional donation of $1500 from the Chamber of Commerce, the funding now stands at $100,000.

"We'll be able to install 50 cameras, with money put aside for maintenance," he added.