Perth Voice Interactive

ARTIFICIAL intelligence will be tasked with monitoring CCTV cameras as part of a six month trial by Bayswater council.

Two of the AI-monitored cameras have been installed at Birkett Reserve in Bedford in an attempt to cut down on antisocial behaviour, and they’ve been programmed to detect suspicious activity like a large gathering of people after dark. 

A human can then make the call as to whether police need to attend, and the cameras are also hooked up to spotlights and two-way speakers so security staff can talk to park lurkers. 

Bayswater council has more than 250 CCTV cameras but not nearly enough staff to monitor them live, especially at night. Instead they’re usually used after the fact when footage is requested by police, and last year WA Police made 101 such requests for footage. 

“The cameras will be used to detect suspicious activity and unusual behaviour after hours through AI technology,” mayor Filomena Piffaretti said in a media release about the trial. 

“Our rangers and security team will be notified of anti-social behaviour in real time, which will improve our team’s response time to incidents.”

Data will ordinarily be purged after five days, or held for 90 days if criminal activity is detected.

Unlike the City of Perth’s extensive CCTV network, Bayswater’s cameras do not include the facial recognition technology that’s led to concerns from privacy advocates. 

If the trial works out, AI could be tasked with more monitoring throughout the city. 

by DAVID BELL