Mobile CCTV boosts security at beach

A Rockingham businessman has lauded the decision to place a mobile closed circuit television camera in a coastal carpark labelled a crime hotspot.

The City of Rockingham has responded to recent reports of vehicle break-ins, antisocial behaviour and theft in Mersey Point carpark by installing a mobile CCTV camera.

Rockingham Wild Encounters hosts tours to Penguin Island and operates Pengo’s Cafe at the Shoalwater carpark, where groups disembark.

Company director Aaron Heath said the CCTV camera was much needed given there had been a spike in vehicle break-ins over the last year.

“We are extremely grateful that the City of Rockingham chose to put the first CCTV camera at Mersey Point,” he said.

“We have noticed a huge increase in vehicle break-ins over the last 12 months.

“There had been between one and three break-ins for the last five years, but this last year we are up to about 20.”

Mr Heath said Pengo’s Cafe had started keeping police reports on-site to give to victims, who were usually tourists.

“It’s the same old story — tourists in a hire vehicle,” he said.

“The thieves tend to target valuables in campervans knowing that people are probably on a cruise or over at the island.

“That’s when we started keeping reports to make sure anyone who had gotten broken into contacted the police.”

Mr Heath said he hoped the camera would be based at Mersey Point when Rockingham’s tourist season kicked in.

“I’m just hoping that when our season kicks in again that the City of Rockingham will look at getting the mobile camera back on-site during key periods when we need the coverage,” he said.