“It’s what we do with the information that counts. It’s the people we work with every day that matter,” Jonelle says.
The footage from CCTV is only shared with credited agencies, such as emergency services. Footage isn’t passed on to the general public due to privacy reasons.
“Everything is data based – we have dashboards full of it. We receive information from Hāpai Ake, Police and Wellington Free Ambulance (WFA). We don’t have cameras in every location in Wellington, but we are constantly evaluating our data to see where we can improve, where we are losing sight of people, and where things are happening.”
Reducing harm through strong partnerships
Every year a small budget is used to install new CCTV cameras around the capital. Lots of data and research goes into selecting these new locations.
With regular meetings, constant communication, and a reliable team monitoring the cameras – these community partnerships have grown stronger over the years, saving time and resources.
The City Safety CCTV Team also assists the Outreach Team at DCM, an organisation supported by Wellington City Council, to help them locate rough sleepers who may need mental health support or medical assistance.