$1.2m win for angry City of South Perth residents

Perth residents fed up with crime in their suburb had a win this week, with the area granted $1.2m to improve safety.

Karawara residents said they were scared in their own homes as thugs roamed the streets with golf clubs and other weapons.

But after 222 residents took a petition to their Federal MP, Steve Irons, pleading for improved CCTV cameras to improve safety, the government took note.

The Federal Government has allocated $500,000 under the Safer Communities program, with the council kicking in $700,000.

“There’ll be four (cameras in Karawara) that are fixed and there’ll be four that are rotating and zooming cameras like you see on the train stations through the PTA zone,” Mr Irons said.

“The important thing is that the Karawara area is targeted, it is the priority and it will be rolled out first by the city.”

Local resident Viral described the cameras as a “big win”.

“It will improve our situation in terms of safety,” he said.

“People will think twice to do any wrong thing because they will fear that some third eye is watching.

“Now I would like to see some actual work on the ground.”

All up, the South Perth council will install 58 cameras over two years, thanks to the funding.

Bollards will also be installed at the end of Mends St to help with public safety at big events like Australia Day.

The council says it could take up to 12 months for the first cameras to be installed.