ALBURY councillor Darren Cameron hasn’t yet lost his battle to have security cameras installed at Dean Street trouble spots.
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The council last night rejected a staff recommendation not to install either a comprehensive system for the length of Dean Street or a 16-camera network tailored for hot spots between Olive and Kiewa streets.
Instead, the council voted 5-3 for another report by October on closed-circuit cameras.
The report will address installing Wi-Fi in some central spots within six months as part of a recently adopted digital economy strategy.
It will also consider costs, brands and capabilities of internet-based cameras.
EDITORIAL: High price tag for cameras
Mayor Kevin Mack, deputy mayor Henk van de Ven, Cr Ross Jackson and Cr Patricia Gould backed Cr Cameron’s amendment.
Cr Daryl Betteridge, Cr David Thurley and Cr Alice Glachan spoke against cameras being installed.
Cr Graham Docksey was absent.
“I am under-whelmed by the (staff) report and unhappy it didn’t go into any detail about types, brands and capabilities of the latest technology,” Cr Cameron said.
The cost of the “Rolls Royce” 30 cameras outlined in the report was put at $852,000 in the first year to buy, install, monitor and maintain with the recurrent cost $610,000 a year.
The cheaper Olive-Kiewa Street option was to spend $257,000 initially and then $103,000 a year.
Both costings don’t include the likely need of an audit committee or managing the systems with the staffing estimated to cost $80,000.
The staff had told the council to back police and the Albury Liquor Accord to reduce alchohol-related incidents.
The latest Albury local government area crime data, from April 2008 to March last year, showed liquor offences were down 23.9 per cent.
But in a recent confidential briefing, councillors were told of an upswing in booze-related incidents. Most occurred near licensed premises or late-night eateries.
Police provided the council with the location of several alcohol-related crimes in the city centre from February to May.