If not for Melbourne’s Sydney Road security system, Adrian Bayley, the man who raped and murdered Jill Meagher on September 22, 2012, might never have been caught.
The CCTV footage was crucial evidence in the case against Bayley, helping to put him away for a 40-year sentence.
But now the Melbourne council who installed the cameras are reviewing the project, saying they have not reduced crime in the area.
Moreland Mayor Helen Davidson says the council are looking into the cost of maintaining the cameras before committing to anything beyond 2019.
“No decision has been made and until we do make a decision, Moreland will continue to work closely with Victoria Police and other community agencies to do everything we can to improve public safety,” she said.
The parents of Jill Meagher, George and Edith McKeon, say they are horrified that these cameras may be removed.
“We are extremely disappointed and horrified that a decision that had already been made (to install the cameras) and which gave us some comfort is now potentially going to be reversed,” her parents said in a statement via councillor Oscar Yildiz.
“My daughter has gone, I’ve lost my daughter, but this is now about protecting other families from what we are going through,” he said.
According to police figures obtained by Seven News, the CCTV footage from the Sydney Road cameras has been used as evidence in 32 criminal investigations in the first half of 2016 alone.
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