TAMBORINE Mountain businesses owners are calling for the installation of security cameras to prevent what they believe is an increasing crime problem.
Members of the Tamborine Mountain Chamber of Commerce as well as Scenic Rim Regional Councillors, Amanda Hay, Kerri Cryer and Steve Moriarty and Sgt Linda Smith from North Tamborine Police station met to hear from Logan City Council about their security camera monitoring program.
Fed up with being broken into, the business owners believe cameras monitoring the four major roads up to the mountain would tackle the problem of thieves coming up from neighbouring areas.
“We want to be proactive in preventing crime and catch offenders,” Theresa Poots owner of Eagle Heights Hotel said.
She said the hotel’s bottle shop had been broken into three times over several years and the mountain had been some serious accidents involving young people which she felt cameras might have prevented.
Theresa said they were trying to find ways to minimise crime or help police it.
While the focus would be to install cameras on the four routes to the mountain, Councillor Hay and others at the meeting said high traffic areas, such as Gallery Walk, should also be considered.
Sgt Smith, who has worked with Logan City Council’s safety camera program said the cameras were a valuable assistance to community safety and helping police.
“Anything we can do to make the community feel safer is advantageous,” Sgt Smith said.
“Criminals can come here, and the helicopter has trouble detecting them.”
She said most offending on the mountain occurred between 2am and 5am and there was no pattern in which way they go on or off the mountain.
However, Sgt Smith said there were also incidents committed by locals.
While business owners believed crime was increasing on the mountain, Sgt Smith said figures didn’t show this, but said it tended to come in spates.
Both the Chamber of Commerce and Councillors said their aim would be to connect with the Logan City Council’s existing program, utilising its 24/7 monitoring.
“It’s a no brainer, the same criminals are coming from Logan,” said Tamborine Mountain Distillery general manager, Gordon Chalmers.
The Logan City Council’s officer said Tamborine Mountain would be looking at about $120,000 to purchase each pole needed to hold the cameras as well as various ongoing costs.
Temporary cameras using mobile networks cost Logan City Council $500 a month.
Scenic Rim Regional Council does not currently have a budget for security cameras; however, Councillor Steve Moriarty said a region wide approach was needed and the council should start looking into it.
He said the council ought to tap into the $40 million Secure Communities Partnership Program announced by the LNP during its election campaign and he would meet with State Member for Scenic Rim Jon Krause to discuss it.
Chamber of Commerce secretary Anne Hardy believed there wasn’t anyone who wouldn’t connect with the issue of as it applied to businesses as well as residents.
However, the topic raised alarm among most residents commenting on the community Facebook pages, many of whom felt their rates money could be better spent.
Resident Julie Wilkinson said cameras were an intrusion and if there is crime on the mountain more police were needed.
“We don’t want to be monitored 24/7 by some outside authority,” Julie said.
“Generally, residents on the mountain are very much against them.”
However, she did concede that cameras on the roads coming up to the mountain would be alright, allowing police to identify vehicles if a crime was committed.
Jon Krause said the LNP government was committed to making communities safer.
“When applications for these grants open, I encourage local businesses and business groups to consider how these grants could help implement measures to prevent crime, safeguard their premises and reduce the costs of crime in our community,” Mr Krause said.
