Aurukun council defends 'big brother' cameras
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The council says vandalism is on the rise because police are not keeping 'sly grog' out of Aurukun. (AAP: Darren England/News Limited/Pool, file photo)
The Aurukun Shire Council says it is installing a 'big brother'-style security system in the community because police are not coping with a surge in local crime.
The Indigenous community of Aurukun, in far north Queensland, will spend $200,000 installing 25 cameras that will be monitored by a security firm in Cairns.
Aurukun Mayor Neville Pootchemunka says the destruction of local property is costing council about $500,000 a year.
He says the plan to install camera surveillance will not affect people in their homes.
"It's only installed in the public areas where kids do break and enter - we have to identify these perpetrators," he said.
The council's chief executive officer, John Bensch, says two security guards will also conduct night patrols and respond to any incidents.
"The problem is the police station is just office hours manned," he said.
"The community was really disturbed there is no police presence around and that's after-hours and that's when the problem started."
He says vandalism is on the rise because police are not keeping 'sly grog' out of Aurukun.
"Sly grogging is primarily the function of the police and they cannot get on top of it because their shifts at the most go to 11 o'clock at night," he said.
"The [security company] will be in liaison with the police because [they have] limited powers."
"That is one issue that will be a problem for us because they can just take reports and then they have to pass it on police to investigate the following day."
Education Queensland has also purchased nine cameras and wants the same company to monitor schools after-hours and on holidays.
Aurukun council says it hopes to have the cameras operating by the end of the week.
