BY JESSICA ROUSE

In what could be an Australian first, Metford Neighbourhood Watch are lending CCTV cameras to residents for free.

The group applied for a grant from Neighbourhood Watch Australasia as a part of their Safe Community Grants program and received $900 worth of CCTV cameras.

Hunter region coordinator Bill Hackney says the group have applied for a few grants, making the neighbourhood a bigger part of the community.

“We have been applying for neighbourhood watch grants for the last few years and have been successful for similar small projects.”

If you’re concerned for your safety, on the fourth Monday of each month you can go along to the group’s monthly meeting, state your case and get access to one of the cameras for a month.

“Come along to our monthly meetings, sit down and express the situation, we’ll be offering them on a one-month loan, obviously the community comes, show some identification and agree to some simple terms of damage and responsibility,” said Bill Hackney.
The camera footage will provide evidence-based material to give to police which residents can do themselves, or the Neighbourhood Watch can do on their behalf.


Bill Hackney

Image Hunter Independent