Gold Coast crime: Civil libertarian slams Mayor Tom Tate’s plans for massive CCTV network expansion

GOLD Coast criminals will be watched like never before with a major expansion of the city’s CCTV network to feature powerful new cameras capable of capturing incredible detail. But civil libertarians are outraged.

CITY hall will be asked to spend millions expanding its CCTV network in a bid to establish the Gold Coast as Australia’s safest city.

The security camera rollout will begin next year if Mayor Tom Tate has his way and will see the city’s 530-camera network drastically increase to aid in slashing the Coast’s crime rate.

But civil libertarians have hit back at the idea, slamming it as excessive and a waste of money.

Mayor Tom Tate is preparing to rollout more security cameras after visiting Taipei.

INSIDE COUNCIL’S SECRET CCTV HUB

Cr Tate’s push for more CCTV comes on the back of his trip to Taiwan earlier this month where he inspected that city’s camera network. Taipei, that nation’s capital, has more than 10,500 eyes in the sky watching over its 2.6 million people.

“The lesson is to not sit still and think you have enough just because you reach the magic number – you only will have enough when the police say the crime right is totally down and we will measure this through its impact on things like hooning and graffiti,” Cr Tate said.

The new cameras will be able to broadcast in hi-definition.

“I believe we should further review our numbers for the next five years, see what other options we have and then plan for it.

“This has confirmed my belief that an even greater deployment of cameras will mean greater police effectiveness on the ground.

“Seeing what cities such as these are doing with cameras reinforces my belief we are doing the right thing.”

Camera locations will be determined through consultation with police and security experts. Picture: Stuart Millian

No specific number of cameras has been determined, but the mayor said he wanted ‘versatile’ cameras which can operate in poor light and at night and deliver hi-definition footage while functioned both for security, traffic monitoring and flood recording.

The location of the cameras will be determined in consultation with police and other experts as part of the city’s safer suburbs forum.

The first round of funding for camera upgrades could be included in the next round of council budget talks, Cr Tate said.

It will come on the back of $1 million in federal funding given towards increasing the network earlier this year.

It is expected newer cameras will be able to link into the hi-speed fibre optic network which runs under the light rail.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties’ Terry O'Gorman. Pics Tim Marsden

But Queensland Council for Civil Liberties vice-president Terry O’Gorman hit back at the proposal as ‘an immense waste of money’ with serious implications for privacy.

“It is a myth that these cameras are a crime preventing measure because research shows CCTV cameras do not stop crime,” he said.

“Frankly, increasing the number of cameras sounds like an immense waste of money because it creates the illusion of safety in public places and to spend that amount of money on an illusion is pointless.”

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The Gold Coast was gifted security cameras used during the Commonwealth Games by the State Government.

The city’s network expanded earlier this year with the installation of 234 security cameras for use during the Commonwealth Games which were gifted to the council by the State Government.

Of these, 164 are being deployed to hot spots, while the remaining 70 will remain at major sporting venues.

Footage captured by these cameras goes to a central hub where it is monitored by council staff and police.

The camera network expansion is inspired by the mayor’s visit to Taipei

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Bond University Associate Professor of Criminology Wayne Petheric said research undertaken a decade ago showed that CCTV had a mixed impact on the crime rate.

“But a big difference in the past 10 years has been the proliferation of social networks and if someone does something and it is captured on CCTV it can go across social media like wildlife and the chances of apprehension are higher.

“Given this it may have a positive flow on effect.

“However it has to be about costs and benefit and if you are spending millions on putting it in, you have to consider if it is worth it.”

COAST CCTV NETWORK

- 530 cameras total for 650,000 residents (one for every 1226 people)

- 234 cameras added earlier this year

- Taiwan has 10,500 for 2.6 million residents (one for every 248 people)