An article in relation to the ID scanners being introduced at some of the venues.  Through these systems, troublemakers can be identified and banned from the venues. Please, participate in the comments of the article on the courier mail website. Direct Link Here

PATRONS at some of Brisbane’s top nightspots will be forced to have their fingerprints scanned before entering clubs.

Five venues in the Fortitude Valley precinct will be introducing new fingerprinting scanning systems by the end of February in a bid to curb alcohol-fuelled violence.

Valley Liquor Accord chairman Danny Blair said it was a “step in the right direction” to providing safer venues.

“We’re hoping we will have fingerprint scanning up and running in The Family nightclub in the next month. And if it’s successful in reducing alcohol-related violence there then we’ll look at introducing it in other venues,” Mr Blair said.

“By the end of February next year we hope all our venues will have fingerprint ID scanners.”

Before entry, patrons will have their ID scanned, picture taken and right index finger scanned for a fingerprint.

Mr Blair said the technology would be rolled out at Katarzyna Group venues including Cloudland, The Family, Empire Hotel, Press Club and Birdie Num Nums.

“If they (patrons) don’t behave it obviously gives us the ability to bar them from the premises. It will enable us to bar them from all of our venues.”

Options Tavern at Helensvale on the Gold Coast is among the few Queensland venues already using the technology.

But civil libertarian Terry O’Gorman said fingerprinting raised privacy concerns.

“The information won’t be secure because there’s no privacy laws that makes them (hotels) store it securely,” he said.

Queensland Hotels Association chief executive Justin O’Connor said the fingerprint scanning was designed to “deter anti-social behaviour” and make it simple for patrons to revisit the same venue.

“The rationale for taking the fingerprint scan and turning it into digital memory is to allow for a future visit to be done on the basis of a fingerprint scan,” he said.

“You don’t have to keep surrendering your ID to access the premises.”

The information can be stored for about 28 days.