The City of Melbourne employs specially trained security contractors to monitor the cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Staff record incidents captured by the cameras and notify police immediately. Reports are prepared detailing the nature, time and place of an incident, as well as the action taken by staff and emergency services.
The 200+ cameras help to create a safer environment and reduce crime levels by deterring potential offenders and helping in crime detection. Speaker sets are also in place across the CBD to create a Public Address System and can be used to communicate important messages in an emergency. This is one of several channels through which emergency services can warn or provide information to the community if there’s a major emergency.
For information on other security improvements being implemented throughout the CBD, visit Victorian Government CBD Safety UpgradeOpens in new tab.
Electronic media of incidents is made available only to authorised police members and civilians who meet the criteria of the protocols and agree to comply with the requirements for handling, use and return of electronic media. Under the protocols, an application to view or copy electronic media by a civilian will only be approved if the applicant is:
- a lawyer acting on behalf of a person alleged to have committed an offence(s) which may have electronic media
- a lawyer acting on behalf of the Victorian or Australian Government or Statutory Authority against a person alleged to have committed an offence(s) which may have been recorded
- a lawyer acting on behalf of a person who alleges they have been a victim of an offence which has been recorded
- a victim of an offence who will represent themself in a court of law or tribunal in relation to an offence which may have been recorded. In this instance the applicant must provide evidence to substantiate that he/she has been charged with a criminal offence or has a civil matter before the Court. This evidence could be a copy of the criminal charge or Court hearing date documentation.
Please note: in accordance with these protocols, we cannot provide material about traffic offences or insurance matters. If you would like more information on accessing Safe City Camera electronic media, contact the City of Melbourne on 03 9658 9658.
Electronic media is kept for 28 days. If no request has been made to view or access footage during this 28- day period, the electronic media is destroyed.
If you believe the SCCP has been improperly used against you or someone you know, you can make a formal complaint in writing to:
Privacy Officer
Governance Services
City of Melbourne
PO Box 1603
Melbourne 3001
The City of Melbourne operates a security patrol vehicle that is fitted with 360-degree CCTV surveillance cameras. The surveillance cameras record in real-time and the electronic media is downloaded at the end of each shift.
