In Australia 'open-street' or 'town centre' CCTV refers to visual surveillance systems established in the main by local government authorities in cooperation with police to monitor public spaces such as malls and major thoroughfares. In-depth interviews were conducted with relevant personnel in 22 CCTV systems, and more detailed site inspections were undertaken in seven locations.

Dean Wilson and Adam Sutton discuss the findings of existing research, and then consider the establishment, operation and management of current Australian systems. The paper concludes by considering pertinent policy issues for the future deployment of CCTV in public areas.