Abuse watch goes live

Safety surveillance stepped up for MPs and public servants

BIG Brother-style technology will be installed at 60 sites across Tasmania to ensure the safety of state politicians and frontline Service Tasmania workers who sometimes cop abuse on the job.

Authorised staff from the Department of Premier and Cabinet will remotely access CCTV vision live and on playback.

The beefing up of real-time security monitoring, which has not yet been costed by the State Government, will cover all DPAC, ministerial and electorate offices, and 27 Service Tasmania shopfronts.

Community and Public Sector Union state secretary Tom Lynch said Service Tasmania staff were often subjected to customer outbursts and abuse.

“Increasingly the government sector has been set up to be difficult to deal with,” Mr Lynch said.

“Some people get angry when they try to deal with the public sector.”

Mr Lynch said underresourcing at some outlets meant customers forced to wait in long queues sometimes became frustrated.

“We see too much of that — people getting frustrated,” he said.

“Yes, there have been and there continues to be risks to security for people working in those shops.”

A DPAC spokeswoman said the new technology would boost security for DPAC staff and the state MPs.

“The installation of new equipment, and a possible shift to off-site storage of CCTV data, will ensure increased safety of personnel and data security,” the spokeswoman said.

“With ready remote access to CCTV footage, it is also anticipated that this will result in cost savings through, for example, reduced guard call-outs being required.”

The current DPAC security contract recently expired.

“The new contract will ensure that the security systems installed at all property locations align with industry best practice having regard to the available technologies,” the spokeswoman said. “The final arrangements, including the cost, will depend on negotiations with the successful tenderer.”

DPAC buildings to get the security boost include those in Hobart’s Murray and Macquarie Sts, Franklin Square and Parliament Square, and Public Buildings in St John St, Launceston.

The new technology should be installed by September.