Expanded CCTV network to boost safety and fight crime

Ten new high-definition CCTV cameras providing better quality images have been installed in Kings Cross, Surry Hills and the city centre as part of the City of Sydney’s ongoing efforts to make Sydney safer after dark.

The CCTV network expansion brings the total number of cameras in the city to 98 and follows a major upgrade of the equipment used to operate the system from the City’s control room at Town Hall.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the new 360°-view cameras were the latest in a series of initiatives to boost safety across the city, and the improved vision would assist NSW Police in their investigations.

“Sydney’s busy late-night precincts face complex challenges and require long-term investment from all levels of government,” the Lord Mayor said.

“We have consulted closely with NSW Police, local residents and businesses to determine the most appropriate locations for these cameras. This expansion of our CCTV network with full-sweep cameras and better quality images should act as a deterrent and assist police in keeping people safe in our late-night hot spots.”

The City’s CCTV network was first established in 1997. It operates across Kings Cross, Woolloomooloo, Surry Hills, Glebe and the city centre and is monitored by trained staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Video footage is provided to NSW Police on request to assist with incident responses, investigations and legal proceedings.

The 10 new cameras - which can zoom, tilt and rotate a full 360° - are the first high-definition digital cameras in the network. The recent upgrade of the recording and data management equipment in the control room has allowed the new cameras to be connected to the network.