Spotting near drownings and identifying offenders are all in a day's work for our CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) Project Officer.
Steven Spiranovic spends his time monitoring, maintaining and cleaning nearly 300 cameras connected to the City's Safe City Network. These cameras, in partnership with Victoria Police, help us to monitor anti-social behaviour, graffiti, hoon driving and illegal dumping.
Steven's been with the City for more than nine years and got into this field of work after being involved in casino surveillance previously.
A lot of people aren't aware of my position at all and that we actually look after cameras.My day is spent on my own, driving around to certain sites and here in the office, where I am involved with Victoria Police and other external agencies.
The office Steven is referring to is the 'DOSO' at Victoria Police, a Divisional Operations Support Office that provides non-operational support to frontline police by monitoring CCTV, police radio and other systems.
We've had multiple success stories in catching offenders using the camera network and working in conjunction with Victoria Police.One evening while monitoring the cameras, I came across four men using an illegal substance in a vehicle.
I rang Triple Zero and a police van soon arrived. That course of action stopped the man driving away while under the influence of a drug and causing a potential road accident.
Currently, there are approximately just under 300 cameras connected to our network and they can all be viewed here [at the DOSO] and remotely by the City.
My role as the CCTV Project Officer is critical to maintaining the safety of central Geelong, suburbs and our Safe City Network.
These cameras are monitored around the clock, 24/7, by Victoria Police.
One particular aspect of his role might come as a surprise to some.
I listen to the lifeguards during summer to make sure that everything's okay down at Eastern Beach and if I do see something that they haven't seen, I can get on the radio and say, "Hey guys, did you head over to that area there?"We had a near drowning that was saved by the quick action of the lifeguards [after I alerted them] and calling Triple Zero and getting that ambulance there, ASAP.
So, that was a great outcome.
Some of the responsibilities Steven has are to ensure all the cameras are online and to detect power issues.
I'm looking at this screen here to show me how the network is operating, and this gives me a quick overview of all our cameras and switches, which are currently all online.The most challenging issue would be a power outage – [so I] look after the camera network and make sure that it doesn't fall over at a critical time.
Each week, Steven carries out tasks that can be quite time consuming.
There's a bit of reviewing to do, I would say up to 50-60 hours of footage on a typical week.It could also mean going out to a pole and cleaning cobwebs because the camera's letting out a light, it's reflecting off the cobwebs, and you can't see a thing.
So, you have to do it weekly.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
The City is leveraging smart technology and data to improve safety in Greater Geelong.We know that the presence of CCTV provides a sense of security, enabling community members to feel more comfortable in public spaces.
Our Safe City Network acts as a deterrent but is also helping Victoria Police as a valuable tool for investigation and evidence collection.
That's why I'm working with Council and the City to increase our network presence.
Cr Chris Burson
The City has safeguarded the system against misuse and abuse.Safety in our region is a complex issue that requires a well-rounded approach and CCTV plays an important part within this strategy
We value the privacy of every individual and adhere to strict rules around data governance and cyber security.
The City is held to account through the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 , the Health Records Act 2001 and Privacy and Health Records Council Policy which stipulate how we collect, use, store and share public data.
Footage from our Safe City Network is stored securely and all systems are up to date with firmware.
