City of Sydney
NSW Police Force
For all emergencies please dial 000 (triple zero). If your matter is not an emergency, call 131 444 or contact your local police station.
Street safety cameras
Street safety (CCTV) cameras have been installed in Sydney to help NSW Police detect, prevent and prosecute assaults and robberies, and other serious offences such as property damage.
Certain areas of the City of Sydney have higher rates of crime than others.
We have installed street safety (CCTV) cameras in these areas identified by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research to help NSW Police detect, prevent and prosecute assaults and robberies, and other serious offences such as property damage.
Specially trained security personnel at a Town Hall control centre monitor 106 cameras across the city centre 24 hours a day.
The live images can be transferred to the police so they can respond quickly if someone’s personal safety is at immediate risk.
Privacy protections
The tightest privacy controls have been put in place to balance crime prevention needs and the right to individual privacy, which limits the scope of the safety camera program to crimes against the person, serious crimes and crowd management.
Our code of practice covering street camera use is rigorous. It includes an independent audit committee made up of legal experts and civil liberties advocates that is charged with ensuring the code is upheld. Each year after the audit, annual operational reports are produced.
Camera recordings are held for 28 days to help police with their investigations and legal proceedings if required. Street safety camera areas are clearly sign-posted to prevent crime, increase the perception of public safety and to make people aware for privacy reasons.
Street safety camera code of practicePDF · 329.16 KB · Last modified
Application to obtain CCTV footage (if not a member of NSW Police)DOC · 119 KB · Last modified
Street safety camera program annual report 2019/2020PDF · 303.57 KB · Last modified
Street safety camera program annual report 2020/2021PDF · 367.27 KB · Last modified
Street safety camera program annual report 2021/2022PDF · 352.52 KB · Last modified
