Is Coogee Beach about to get Big Brother surveillance?
POLICE could soon be watching live 24-hour footage of a Sydney beach to help them intervene in crime as they happen.
Southern Courier
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Big Brother could be coming to Coogee Beach in the form of 24-hour live surveillance.
Following the Federal Government’s push for councils to play a bigger role in anti-terrorism measures, Randwick Council is considering adopting a proactive CCTV monitoring program.
On Tuesday night, the council will consider establishing a live monitoring control room within Randwick police station.
It will cost the council $20,100 to set up, and will be staffed by officers from the Eastern Beaches LAC.
Detective Inspector Steven Egbers said it would make a “huge difference” in curbing anti-social behaviour and preventing crime.
“It has numerous advantages and is an excellent policing tool,” he said.
Det Insp Egbers said it would also help to speed up processing cases.
Randwick Mayor Lindsay Shurey said investing in the CCTV control room would provide the community “with an enormous advantage in the fight to keep our streets safe”. “The Federal Government made it clear that councils need to be actively involved in maintaining the safety and security of residents and visitors, and that we need to protect popular spaces from acts of terrorism,” she said.
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The council installed CCTV at Coogee Beach in 2009 but supply of the footage to authorities is retrospective.
Real-time monitoring will allow for police to react to incidents as they happen.
In 2016, Goldstein Reserve at Coogee Beach was left trashed after an impromptu rave on Christmas Day got out of hand.
Other sites being considered for CCTV will also be fed into the live monitoring room at the police station. Last Christmas, thousands of revellers descended on Little Bay Beach and the gathering turned violent. Two women were charged with assault after the fact.