Nefarious characters up to no good in and around Methven be warned, big brother is watching.

There are now more than 20 security cameras in the area. 

Methven Area Security Enhancement Trust (MASET) chair Craige Mackenzie said each site has between two to three cameras installed, with number plate recognition and overview cameras. 

"That is a big security boost to our area,” he said. 

"It’s about making people feel safe in our community and deterring as much crime as possible.”

Mackenzie said MASET camera footage has already proved its worth in helping police build up a picture of what occurred in past cases. 

"Police have had some great catches from our camera network footage to date,” he said.

Methven Community Board chair Megan Fitzgerald said $5000 was given to the trust to help get the project off the ground. 

It had proved worthwhile.

"It is great to see the progress and how we are covering Methven and the Foothills really well,” she said.

"We are very lucky to have a limited number of entrances and exits out of Methven, and the careful planning from the security trust have given us good coverage in those areas,” she said. 

Fitzgerald said the camera footage was free for police to access, and could support cases in a non-prohibitive way. 

"There are other cameras in the district, but they attract a cost and that kind of gets in the way.” 

Both Mackenzie and fellow committee member Ron Smith wanted to reassure residents that the footage could only be accessed by police if an incident had been reported.

"The cameras aren’t monitored, the police won’t send anyone a ticket for rolling through a stop sign or speeding,” Smith said. 

Police senior sergeant Janine Bowden said police utilised camera footage from a number of agency, community and private individuals for evidential purposes when a crime is reported.

“Footage remains a valuable evidential tool as part of any criminal or traffic offence investigation,” she said. 

Fitzgerald said as a community board they wondered if footage could be used to gather information around the safety of crossing the State Highway running through Methven. 

"We asked if we could get data on road crossing near-misses or anything like that, but it was a hard no. The police said the cameras are there for one purpose, and one purpose only, and that is to look into reported incidents.” 

"For the public’s reassurance they should know it is a really good system, that is really well done and really well managed,” Fitzgerald said.  

Smith said the plan was to add sites further out of Methven and across the countryside as funding became available. 

He said installing cameras across the plains, builds up a network for the police to track criminal behaviour. 

"We hope to eventually connect with other community networks, above and below us, to cover much of the South Island,” said Smith.

The trust, which started over 18 month ago, is a community-led crime prevention programme and overseen by a board of six volunteer trustees elected from the community. 

Mackenzie said MASET’s remit was to identify key sites for camera’s in the district, to gather funding from various sources for their purchase and to liaise with the installation company who are under the police umbrella. 

“We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to get involved with the project or has thoughts on other camera sites in the district,” Mackenzie said.