A security guard was hired to go undercover among a group of 'anti-social people' in Canberra's city centre as part of an ACT government agency contract, a Legislative Assembly inquiry has heard. The City Renewal Authority contractor, David Caffrey, told the inquiry on Tuesday that his company paid a security guard to 'roughen up' his clothes and assimilate into the group in Petrie Plaza for a month in 2024 to gather data on anti-social behaviour.
Mr Caffrey said the guard recorded six major incidents daily, and the data was compiled into a report delivered to the ACT Emergency Services Minister and ACT Policing. However, an ACT government spokesperson later said no minister had been briefed on the report or was aware of its existence, stating the government would not endorse or approve such data collection methods.
A City Renewal Authority spokesperson said the agency commissioned an audit in December 2024 to understand the impacts of anti-social behaviour on public events and support safety, but was not aware of any undercover work described as 'assimilating' with the public. The spokesperson said the audit involved trained personnel observing behaviours in key locations and that the authority would seek clarification on the methodology.
ACT Policing confirmed it had received a copy of the report and continues to engage with partners on safety issues. The inquiry also heard that families are avoiding walking around Canberra's CBD and instead prefer to park and shop at the Canberra Centre, which has extensive security, due to safety concerns.
