Frankston business operators voice concern about reduced security camera vision in CBD
Fourteen security cameras in Frankston’s city centre have been blocked by trees, with store owners saying youths and children as young as 12 are wreaking havoc in the suburb’s CBD and the problem needs to be fixed.
South East
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Fourteen CCTV cameras monitoring Frankston’s city centre have been blocked by trees.
The revelation comes after store owners last week said feral youths and children as young as 12 were wreaking havoc in the CBD, driving away shoppers.
Frankston Traders’ Association president John Billing said business operators were concerned about the reduced security vision.
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Traders reported the security cameras’ limited vision to Frankston Council officials in a closed meeting, but it’s unknown how long they have been obscured.
Mr Billing said it was essential traders, staff and shoppers felt safe.
Council chief executive Dennis Hovenden promised urgent action.
“The council has identified that 14 of the more than 100 CCTV cameras across the municipality were minimally obstructed by minor vegetation growth,” he said.
“Council takes the safety of residents extremely seriously and regularly audits the city’s CCTV network to ensure that all cameras are effectively monitoring their surveillance zones.”
Councillor Steve Toms said local people had spoken about the need to feel safe in the city centre.
“If the cameras are capturing the true behaviour that occurs in the streets it would make it easier to ultimately deal with the problem,” he said.
Frankston CBD traders are fed-up with youths and pre-teens swearing, drinking and fighting in the area, and said the anti social behaviour was a nightmare.
In response to the traders speaking up, worker Anne Madder wrote on Facebook: “I work on Wells St and regularly have to call the police to various situations making me feel unsafe and putting the public at risk.”