[comment caption=Would you feel safer with cameras in the city centre?]Closed circuit television must be installed in the centre of Dunedin for police to be able to effectively fight crime, the officer jointly in charge of the Dunedin CIB says.
Detective Senior Sergeant Steve McGregor said while weapons incidents in Dunedin last weekend were not the start of a worrying trend, there were still people who felt unsafe in the central city.
His comments came after police said a 39-year-old man was assaulted with knuckle-dusters by two men on Saturday morning and a 15-year-old youth was stabbed in the arm in a gang-related incident in Howe St on Friday night.
"The use of weapons has always been a periodic thing and is often related to the choice made by a particular offender.
"But I would put the question back to you, 'are people getting angrier? And if so, what is fuelling that anger?"'
Criminologist Greg Newbold, associate professor in sociology at the University of Canterbury, said recent incidents of attacks using weapons in Dunedin did not ring any alarm bells.
A trend to increased weapons use in assaults existed in Auckland, but that city had a gang dynamic other towns in New Zealand did not have.
The number of reported public place attacks with weapons was not outside the norm for a city of Dunedin's size, he said.
People, particularly young men, using weapons such as knuckle-dusters, steel-capped boots and iron bars was a post-war phenomenon and he had not perceived any great difference in the nature and number of attacks in towns outside Auckland in recent years, Prof Newbold said.
"It's business as usual, as far the louts are concerned, I'm afraid."
Det Snr Sgt McGregor said the current social situation could mean people were under financial pressure and feeling frustrated.
Some people were taking out their frustrations on others.
The installation of CCTV would mean that not only the offenders in assaults, but also other antisocial behaviour could be caught on camera in the central city.
Police were relying on witnesses and closed circuit television from private businesses to try to spot offenders.
Police this week appealed for information from anyone standing in an Octagon taxi queue with a woman who was later assaulted by a man - who had also been standing in the queue - after he followed her when she decided to walk.
Many attacks either happened in the city or the offender had been in the city at some stage, Det Snr Sgt McGregor said.
"It is ridiculous that we are relying on private businesses for something which is such a great crime-fighting tool.
"Good people would not have to worry about their privacy being invaded and it would be a significant tool in fighting crime."
Dunedin City Council customer advocate Adrian Blair said council staff had completed a feasibility study on installing CCTV.
The study found cameras would be most useful placed in the Octagon and the project would cost between $200,000 and $300,000 including installation and depending on monitoring options.
The city safety leaders forum, which includes the DCC chief executive, the mayor, the chief of police and police district commander, would meet again in late July to talk about CCTV and funding options for the project, he said.
Det Snr Sgt McGregor said there was evidence of violence in Dunedin that was directly related to the use of methamphetamine and the behavioural effects it had.
"We are pretty conscious of the methamphetamine scene in Dunedin. We would be pretty naive to think that it is not there."
Dunedin police were not waiting for a pattern to emerge, and were investigating use of the drug in the city.
Attacks with weapons
• March 9: An 18-year-old man and his girlfriend attacked with hammer in Great King St.
• March 14: A 19-year-old male bottled, punched and kicked in an unprovoked attack by teenagers, Albany St.
• May 10: A 40-year-old man assaults two police constables with a chainsaw and then attacks a police car in Mosgiel.
• May 18: A 17-year-old youth is attacked with metal bar at the entrance to Countdown supermarket in Great King St. Mid-May: Two people receive minor wounds to their hands in an alleged knife attack during an altercation between four people in North Rd.
• June 7: A 39-year-old man suffers broken nose, bruising, cuts and possible head injury after two teenagers beat him with knuckle-dusters in Carroll St.
• June 8: A 15-year-old youth requires surgery after being stabbed in the arm in a gang fight in Howe St. After the stabbing, associates of the victim attacked the alleged offender with a crowbar and broken bottles.
