Why creepy CCTV plaques are appearing in the CBD

IF YOU have wandered around the Toowoomba CBD in the past week you might have noticed several creepy plaques appearing on street corners.

IF YOU have wandered around the Toowoomba CBD in the last couple of weeks you might have noticed several creepy plaques appearing on street corners.

IF YOU have wandered around the Toowoomba CBD in the last couple of weeks you might have noticed several creepy plaques appearing on street corners.

The plaques highlight there are Toowoomba Regional Council CCTV cameras in the area and the cameras are "collecting your personal information".

The plaques mention the personal information is "being collected is being used for purposed of public safety, crime prevention and detection", but they do not mention what that personal information is.

Toowoomba Regional Council environment and community committee chair Cr Geoff McDonald said the council did not have any facial recognition software installed on the camera network.

"The personal information being collected refers to the CCTV video footage from the cameras and is not a reference to facial recognition software, which the council does not undertake," Cr McDonald said.

"All footage captured on council's CCTV network can only be accessed by authorised council staff and licensed security officers who operate the cameras."

Cr McDonald said the plaques were part of a two-year program to upgrade the cameras from analogue to digital and increase signage about the network in the area.

"The signage which can be seen on plaques throughout the region, informs residents they are in the vicinity of operating CCTV and that as part of that CCTV network, their personal information may be collected," he said.

"The City Safe Program is a successful safety initiative run in conjunction with the police and the Safe Night Precinct.

"Council is continually upgrading and expanding the City Safe camera network in its endeavour to provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy business and social activities."

Toowoomba Regional Council has 100 cameras throughout the region with 70 of those in the Toowoomba CBD.

Full text of plaque:

Toowoomba Regional Council is collection your personal information on Councils (sic) City Safe Closed Circuit Television System (CCTV) in this area. The personal information being collected is being used for the purposes of public safety, crime prevention and detection. Your personal information will only be accessed by persons authorised to do so. This information may be provided to Queensland Police Service for law enforcement purposes. Your information will not be given to any other person or agency unless required by law or by agreement. Your personal information is handled in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2003.

Originally published as Why creepy CCTV plaques are appearing in the CBD