The installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras on Port Douglas’ main streets has been raised again following a late-night assault at Macrossan Street late last month.

A CCTV network has been a hotly debated topic over the past two years, with The Newsport reporting since 2011 victims and businesses calling for CCTV cameras to be installed on the town’s main street to prevent crimes such as assault and vandalism to businesses.

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Despite the recurrence of incidents and calls for action, Port Douglas remains without any improved system. Cairns’ CCTV network is set to be boosted by 10 WiFi cameras around the CBD, worth $400,000.

Key obstacles to installing a Port Douglas network remain and include lack of funding and lack of police and camera-monitoring resources.

Acting Sergeant Russell Parker, of Far Northern District Crime Prevention (Cairns), said installing a CCTV network throughout a CBD involved significant costs, with added expenses for monitoring the equipment.

“All levels of government are running on very tight budgets at the moment so in a lot of cases there may not be funding available for this sort of infrastructure,” Acting Sergeant Parker said.

“Individual businesses can certainly install their own equipment inside premises and at their entry points to assist in overall security.

“The cost of a lot of the systems has come down considerably in recent years with advances in digital technology, and the quality of images from even a lot of the cheaper equipment is really quite good.”

Though Acting Sergeant Parker said he was not aware of any evidence that suggests surveillance cameras stop crime, he noted CCTV cameras were invaluable for investigating offences and assisting in identifying offenders.

“However their effect as a deterrent is open to debate,” he said.
“If the cameras are part of a monitored security system they can be of great assistance in identifying potential incidents where intervention can prevent situations escalating.”      

Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch, told The Newsport Douglas may be eligible for funding from the Federal Government’s Save the Streets $50 million program, committed to by the coalition government before the federal election.

However, he said a community group or the new Douglas Shire Council would have to make the submission.

Candidates for the new Douglas Shire Council are among those voicing their concerns on the issue ahead of the November 9 election. Their views will be reported exclusively on The Newsport tomorrow.