Council & Business
27 June, 2025
Cameras to protect council staff
Pyrenees Shire Council staff will be wearing body worn cameras for safety and transparency purposes following instances of anti-social behaviour towards them.
The shire recently announced community safety and amenity officers will be wired up due to various incidents where staff had been abused and threatened.
Pyrenees Shire Council CEO Jim Nolan said the safety of council officers was paramount and body worn cameras have proven to be a deterrent against anti-social behaviour.
“Our community safety and amenity officers spend a significant amount of time responding to complaints. While most of our community treats our staff respectfully, there are isolated cases where officers have been verbally abused, and threats were made,” he said.
The community safety and amenity officers uphold local laws and overseas domestic animal management, livestock management, litter control and fire prevention, among other duties.
Mr Nolan said the council’s 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey highlighted community safety and amenity as highly important to residents.
“Our community said it’s essential to do this work, and it’s important the officers can do their job safely,” he said.
Mr Nolan said body worn cameras would not be used to monitor residents, but only record an interaction between the officers and the public when the staff member thinks it is necessary to do so.
“Body worn cameras will be used to foster a safer community, promote accountability and maintain a transparent and professional approach to community safety and amenity,” he said.
This announcement follows the Municipal Association of Victoria’s condemnation of abuse of council staff in May this year, when the ABC uncovered abuse, harassment and threats within 13 Victorian councils by ratepayer groups.
“Some anti-social behaviour towards council officers has always been an ongoing issue in most municipalities, particularly for officers who deal with complaints and other difficult situations,” Mr Nolan said.
Pyrenees Shire Council is currently reviewing the use of body worn cameras after a trial period, but is likely to make them a permanent measure, based on other council’s experiences.
Any footage recorded will be downloaded and stored in accordance with the relevant guidelines and can be accessed via a Freedom of Information request.