The idea behind the initiative is to keep police resources on the streets and give the community a sense of participation in Geelong's safety.

Deakin University criminologist Peter Lewis has put the idea forward to both Neighbourhood Watch and the police.

Geelong District Inspector Shane Cole said yesterday he was aware of Mr Lewis' proposal.

While the four surveillance cameras in Geelong's Central Activities Area are due to be in place by mid-June, the idea of involving community members is still in the very early stages. Mr Lewis, who is also chairman of Barwon Police Community Consultative Committee, said research by the Australian Institute of Criminology supported the idea that surveillance cameras only worked when monitored in real-time.

At this stage the cameras are expected to be monitored at least on busy Friday and Saturday nights at Geelong Police Station by police officers.

But Mr Lewis suggested the skills of volunteers, properly vetted and trained, could be utilised under the supervision of one police officer.

``Police, no matter what the best intentions are, don't have the resources to monitor TV cameras for the amount of time that we think is appropriate,'' he said.

``We don't want people out there on vigilant patrols but there are meaningful ways people can contribute.''

Mr Lewis pointed to the success of Neighbourhood Watch involvement in the fight against graffiti, where bus shelters were targeted and cleaned up as a precursor to Geelong's current graffiti strategy.

Involving the community was an important tool in crime prevention. ``It does two things. It enhances the role of Neighbourhood Watch and it gives people a sense of participation in a fairly positive way,'' Mr Lewis said.

``If Neighbourhood Watch is going to continue to be important we need to think of ways to utilise the sort of energy and the desire of people to contribute.''