Neighbours in Melbourne have banded together to combat violent crime by installing a network of 18 CCTV cameras in their own street.
Residents of Teatree St in the suburb of Diggers Rest, in Melbourne's northwest, have installed a comprehensive network of cameras on their street in response to a spate of violent crimes - including home invasions.
Residents can check in on their home and along the street at any time using an app.
For this reason, they have dubbed their street the safest in Australia.
The idea is the brainchild of Tim Payne, president of the not-for-profit group Community Against Crime.
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"This community came to me because they needed help, they wanted to be proactive about their safety," Mr Payne told AAP.
"If one resident just looks at the app once a day, and there are thirty people in the street, you can almost guarantee that someone's watching at all times."
While Teatree Street is the first residential street to install this kind of network, Mr Payne said he has received inquiries from across Australia.
"CCTV is not like years and years ago, it's no longer going to set you back thousands of dollars."
A police spokesman said that while CCTV can be worthwhile when investigating crime, it may not prevent it from happening.
