A Dunedin city councillor has called for closed-circuit television camera coverage of the Octagon to be delayed until the security of the images is fully debated.
The call, from Cr Michael Guest, follows news Queenstown police had posted images from the town's cameras on Facebook, a social networking site on the Internet.
Cr Guest will seek an amendment at Monday's council meeting asking that the planned cameras for the Octagon, in Dunedin, not be made operational until a written report is received on the protocols and security for the use of the images.
He said yesterday he was concerned images might end up on a "world's funniest videos" section of video-sharing site YouTube, or a similar site, and raised questions about the privacy of people on a night out in the Octagon.
"I would feel annoyed if I was out at a stag do in the Octagon at 2.30am, and someone said [the next day] 'You were having a few'."
The council voted in November for cameras to be installed initially in the Octagon, and later the wider business district, with funding to be included in next year's annual plan.
It was reported yesterday Queenstown police were posting images and video from CCTV surveillance cameras on the site to track down "people of interest".
Cr Guest said when he raised the security issue at a recent council committee meeting, he was given assurances protocols were in place, and there were strict controls.
"We were never told that these protocols will allow the police to use the images pre-arrest on the Internet. This calls into question the quality of the advice given on the protocols and I'm not prepared to delegate that consideration any more."
In an email to council chief executive Jim Harland, Cr Guest said: "It is not the place to argue the merits in full in this email, except to point out that our criminal justice system has long recognised that there should be no pre-arrest publicity prior to a court appearance except in exceptional circumstances."
He said yesterday he had support from other councillors.
Mr Harland said yesterday a protocol was not yet in place, but would be following a policy decision.
Dunedin and Clutha area commander Inspector Dave Campbell would be available to discuss the matter with councillors, Mr Harland said.
