Statement from NT Police Commissioner, John Mc Roberts:
"Firstly, there is no CCTV monitored by Police which points directly onto the Woolworths and TIO complex. The closest camera is located on the Smith Street/Knuckey Street corner which captured an image of a vehicle believed to have been involved in the incident on Wednesday. This image was released to the media on Thursday 4 February 2010with a call for witnesses.
Secondly, there is no general CCTV monitoring done from Darwin Police Station. The only 'real-time' CCTV monitoring is done from the Joint Emergency Services Communications Centre in Berrimah, co-located with the Triple Zero and Police Assistance Line and overseen by the Territory Duty Superintendent. This was also the case on Wednesday throughout the incident at TIO. The cameras and central monitoring system have never been switched off since the introduction at the end of 2009.
However, a potential inappropriate use of some CCTV equipment located at Darwin Police Station was brought to the attention of Darwin Police Station Management who immediately referred the matter for internal investigation by the Ethical and Professional Standards Command.
The allegation of inappropriate use relates to approximately 30 seconds of focus which the complainant, based in the actual monitoring area in Berrimah, didn't feel was necessary. The zoomed focus is onto the rear of a female outside a licensed premise on Mitchell Street. The female in the footage appears to be an adult. No further details of this female will be disclosed in respect of her privacy.
Equipment is stored at Darwin Police Station for potential use during special operations such as those conducted by detectives in the Drug Squad. To clarify, this equipment is rarely used and is not monitored under normal circumstances.
CCTV is a very important safety and investigative tool for NT Police and any claims of inappropriate use will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.
Measures were immediately taken to ensure the professional use and integrity of the system which continues to be closely monitored through the Joint Emergency Services Communications Centre in Berrimah. One of these measures was to disable the equipment capacity at Darwin Police Station until an audit system has been installed. The audit system software has been on order for some weeks and has always been an intended component of the CCTV installation process.
Finally, contrary to some media reporting, this potential inappropriate use of CCTV and the internal investigation into the allegation has no implications on the incident at TIO on Wednesday and is of no relevance with regards to the police investigation into that incident at TIO.
Media Contact
Katie Fowden
0401 116 540
