Oamaru's first closed-circuit television (CCTV) network is live.
Six cameras have been installed at hot spots in Oamaru, with all streams feeding to the Oamaru Police Station.
The initial sites for cameras are: the corner of Itchen and Humber Sts, Harbour St, the North Otago Yacht and Powerboat Club, the intersection of Severn and Thames Sts, the Junction and the North End shopping area.
The system's installation could not come soon enough for project leader Waitaki District Council community safety and development facilitator Helen Algar.
It took "considerably longer'' than anticipated but the end result was a more robust system that met the needs of the community, Mrs Algar said.
The council started investigating the use of CCTV in 2006, but it was too expensive. With the development of cheaper technology and overwhelming support from the community, the new system has cost $30,000.
"The reason this has been possible is because most of the work has been done by skilled volunteers, technician time has been donated, expertise has been donated, legal support has been donated, a lot of equipment has been donated,'' she said.
More areas have been identified for future installations and the network could eventually expand "infinitely''.
Detective Warren Duncan, of Oamaru, said the CCTV network was already proving to be a great tool for the police.
"It's not about trying to capture people doing wrong. That's a benefit of it, but the more signage we can have up informing people of the cameras, and that they're entering an area covered by CCTV, that's a real preventive measure and it can only lower crime stats and make things safer,'' he said.
Det Duncan assured the community the system would not impinge on their privacy.
Only he and two other camera operators would be able to take footage from the system at the police station.
Police could use already vetted volunteers to assist in searching footage and they would look at having volunteers monitor it on Friday and Saturday nights.
Camera placement was focused on "choke points'', Det Duncan said.
"We worked on entry points and exit points out of Oamaru [and] choke points where people have to go through to come and go, and by doing that, you can capture a lot more people. You're closer and more focused on them, so you can actually identify them.''
The cameras were placed high enough to prevent vandalism, but low enough for a good view of traffic.
"It's also a traffic-monitoring thing - if there's an accident that's occurred there, it gives us a better idea of who's at fault.''
Footage will be kept for two months before being destroyed.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said safety of the community was paramount and the council wanted people to feel safe in Oamaru.
"We don't want to have cameras everywhere and we are actually a safe society [but] on the other hand, it is about clamping down on the criminal activity, or antisocial behaviour, that we do have.''
