A drone has been used in an effort to get contraband into Invercargill Prison and there has been a huge increase in the number of people throwing contraband over the prison fence, city councillors have been told.

Police have asked the council to introduce more CCTV cameras in the city, including in the street leading past the prison..

Inspector Mike Bowman made the request at a city council meeting on Monday, and said a drone was used to try and introduce contraband into the prison, but it hit a tree.

He wanted a CCTV camera looking down Liffey St, where the prison was located.

"There's been a huge increase in throw-overs to the prison in recent months, from people trying to introduce contraband."

The prison did a good job trying to deter it but it would be beneficial if police had a camera looking down the street.

The street lighting could also be improved, he said.

He requested additional CCTV cameras in several locations around the city, including the city centre and south city.

It would cost the city council money to improve the CCTV coverage in Invercargill but police wanted to make it the safest city in New Zealand, he said.

Police also wanted CCTV cameras overlooking the Invercargill courthouse in Don St.

"We all know the gangs are more evident in Southland now, and we try to do our very best to police those, but as we have seen around the country there are altercations at court houses when people appear," Bowman said.

The current CCTV cameras in the city were grainy and sometimes froze, making it difficult to identify offenders when captured on camera.

New CCTV cameras were cheaper than in the past and of much better quality, councillors heard.

Police wanted CCTV cameras at south city, including at the mall and at Russell Square, where youths congregated, and at the troopers memorial roundabout to capture vehicles.

Cr Alex Crackett said the quality of the CCTV footage police showed the councillors was poor, and she believed the council should invest in CCTV cameras for the safety of the public.