The Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s latest weapon in the ongoing battle to tame the sometimes rowdy revellers of the entertainment precinct is up and running and Coast police couldn’t be happier.

The $147,000 project involves a number of cameras placed around the Mooloolaba Esplanade and surrounding areas sending back a live feed to a control room in the Mooloolaba Police Beat office where it will be recorded 24-hours a day.

The state government chipped in $55,000 towards the cameras which both police and divisional councillor Chris Thompson said would help make the area safer.

Council workers will install signs alerting people they are entering an area covered by the cameras.

If someone is brave enough to commit a crime within sight of the cameras, the evidence will be recorded for any future court appearances.

It will also make it easier for police to identify altercations and incidents as they happen and, depending on where in Mooloolaba a crime has been spotted, police can alert offenders they are being watched and officers are on their way through a speaker attached to one of the cameras.

Police and council staff won’t have to wait long to see how effective the new system is.

New Year’s Eve, arguably the biggest night in the entertainment precinct, is tomorrow and police hope the cameras will provide just one more deterrent to any one considering behaving badly.

Police will be out in force on New Years eve targeting anti-social behaviour and public nuisance offences as well as hitting the roads with random breath tests.

They hope they won’t have to call on the cameras and those enjoying the Mooloolaba celebrations do so safely.