Brisbane City Council has 3000 CCTV cameras. Labor wants more

A Labor-run Brisbane City Council would spend $2 million rolling out four mobile CCTV camera units to suburbs where police and Neighbourhood Watch volunteers determine there is a need for extra surveillance.

The CCTV pledge comes ahead of the March 16 election and is part of a four-year funding promise that also includes $8 million in extra lighting for suburban parks and shopping centres.

Brisbane City Council operates a 3,000-camera surveillance system in conjunction with the Queensland Police Service.Credit: Tony Moore

“That includes auditing where we need better lighting, and we will be installing that around parks and shopping centres and community centres,” mayoral candidate Tracey Price said.

“We are going to do mobile CCTVs and work with the different communities about where they should be placed.”

Labor’s plan follows an announcement by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner that a re-elected LNP council would expand grants to sports clubs to let them install CCTV cameras and security screens.

Labor’s 2024 mayoral candidate Tracey Price promises to spend $2 miilion to add CCTV cameras to suburbs outside the CBD, and an extra $8 million on lighting improvements in suburban areas over four years.Credit: Facebook

Price said Labor would also review community safety funding and expenditure.

“We are going to review – line by line – exactly where the funding is being spent and how it is being spent and make sure we are getting value,” she said.

The LNP has added 792 new cameras to its surveillance network, which now has 3000 cameras across entertainment precincts, parks, public transport and other areas.

LNP campaign spokeswoman Fiona Cunningham derided Labor’s policy announcement, saying the state Labor government was responsible for “our suburbs becoming less safe”.

Cunningham also repeated the LNP’s claim a Labor administration would share power with the Greens, who “want to defund the police, legalise hard drugs and support shoplifting and break-and-enter”.

Greens mayoral candidate Jonathan Sriranganathan said he supported Labor’s plans to improve lighting in suburban parks and centres but not more CCTV cameras.

“I think increasing state surveillance does not address the root causes of the sorts of crimes that people are concerned about,” Sriranganathan said.

Sriranganathan said making parks “more usable for more people” was more effective than adding cameras.

Price said more cameras, including around major developments, would help prevent theft, vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

“We want to be able to deploy those more in and around the suburbs and community centres and parks, which have become hotspots,” she said.

Labor’s pitch came as Queensland police invited members of the community to request a Mobile Police Beat be sent to their suburb.

The Miles government has changed policies, and committed more resources, amid community concerns over youth crime.

The state LNP opposition has long campaigned for a tougher approach to law and order.

Price acknowledged councils do have “some role to play” in security as state and federal governments transferred more responsibility onto local governments.

“I am not going to get into a political fight about whose role is to do what,” she said.

“We have a role to play, and I think that’s about working with the community about where problems are occurring and being able to assist the community to deal with those problems.”

Get the inside word on the news, sport, food, people and places Brisbane is talking about. Sign up for our City Talk newsletter here.