There had been much debate over whether it was worth the expense, but eventually Albury Council committed to the project.

Ever since the system was turned on, both the council and police have remarked on how effective the system has been.

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It has certainly added to a sense of greater safety in the main entertainment strip along Dean Street and in nearby streets, which given the historical regular episodes of violence has been a significant step forward.

And even when incidents have occurred, police have been able to draw on the footage to assist with identifying perpetrators.

While privacy concerns have been raised in the past as a reason to not introduce such a system, it has been established that this is not an issue.

The cameras are there for a very specific purpose in a very specific part of the city; if there was a push for similar surveillance in residential areas there quite rightly would be heated opposition.

But that does not mean that Dean Street should stand alone in having what is effectively a 24-hour a day security presence.

Based on cases that have gone before the Albury Local Court at times, there are other areas within the city that could also benefit.

The stand-out case, of course, is Lavington's commercial zone.

Businesses are regularly targeted by opportunistic crooks, who have no regard for the damage they inflict or the financial losses they impose, even when business owners can seek some recourse through insurance.

While many businesses have their own security cameras, not having a similar system on the street is an obvious gap.

The council is rightly pursuing such a project and is now going through the nuts and bolts of how to pay for it, given it will be at a considerable cost.

The first stage cost of $248,500 could be a burden on ratepayers given that federal funding is a possibility, but this in turn would create delays.

Ultimately though, a safer city must be the priority.