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Keeping Elgin safer with new CCTV camera
Monday, November 12, 2012 • Sophie Rishworth
THE first replacement CCTV camera in a city-wide upgrade has been installed in Elgin.

Combined with a new community constable, the suburb is up and running to prevent crime at one of the city’s trouble spots, the Elgin shopping centre.

General disorder around the shopping centre, involving youths and alcohol, has reduced with the high visibility of Community Constable Willis Tamatea’s new role.

It has been a month since he started the community beat and Constable Tamatea is looking forward to tightening the partnerships within the community.

Part of his job is to visit schools and interact with the students to let them know he is there and approachable.

The first time he walked into a classroom in his blue uniform, all the children cried, he said.

Because of the high incidence of family violence, Constable Tamatea said often the first impression children had of police officers was that they were the people who took their parents away.

But he is working hard to soften that reaction and show the children the other side of community policing.

Now he reads stories to them.

“It’s just sitting down and interacting with them. They have really opened up a lot and now they approach me, talk to me and ask questions.”

The community constable has also established a partnership with E Tu Elgin, has begun relationships with retailers and identified issues important to the wellbeing of the suburb.

“The community has been very accepting of my appointment, especially in terms of information-gathering. They have taken ownership of their community, which is awesome and makes my job a lot easier.”

This community bond will be further enhanced through sport. Tamatea and former Rising Suns basketballer Travis McIlroy are in the process of organising a three-on-three basketball event at the Blackpool Street Reserve on December 15.
MORE EYES IN THE SKY: The new CCTV camera installed smack in the middle of the Elgin roundabout is part of a $200,000 project to upgrade all CCTV cameras around Gisborne. Picture quality with the new system has been described as “stunning”. Gisborne Crime Prevention Trust (GCPT) spokesman Ken Huberts said the definition of the new cameras would be much higher and they would be able to capture clearer facial images and vehicle licence plates. The new surveillance system has been installed to keep the streets safer. Picture by Dave Thomas
Comments
sadethrower
11:48 a.m. Tuesday, Nov 13, 2012
I think that we need more of these CCTV cameras to make the whole of Gisborne a better and safer placeto be in and around.
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