Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a Coalition government will spend $50 million over four years installing CCTV cameras if it wins office.

Police say CCTV played a crucial role in the investigation into the murder of Melbourne woman Jill Meagher.

Mr Abbott made the announcement confirming an election promise in Melbourne and says the money will be diverted from proceeds of crime.

"As the father of three daughters, I want our communities to be safe for our children to be there in the evening," he said.

"I think we ought to be able to enjoy our communities free from fear."

Mr Abbott says the money frozen in the Commonwealth victims of crime fund should be used to improve crime prevention.

"CCTV is an important part of ensuring that if crime takes place, it is detected and it is resolved," he said.

"CCTV is an important element in ensuring that our communities are much safer for the communities of this country."

The Victorian Premier, Ted Baillieu, has promised additional security measures to boost safety in areas prone to crime.

The Victorian Government will spend $3 million in grants for local councils to purchase the cameras.

"There's no doubt that the community opportunities for additional surveillance, additional crime prevention measures are endless, but CCTV cameras and other measures play a critical role in that," he said.

"I think what we have seen and been reminded about is the role CCTV cameras can play. That in itself is not new, we've seen it before. But with the tragic events around the Jill Meagher case we've obviously seen it very, very graphically."

Ms Meagher, an ABC employee, was killed two weeks ago after disappearing on the way home from a night our with her colleagues in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.

The Crime Victims Support Association has welcomed the Coalition's commitment, calling on the Gillard Government to match the promise.

Association spokesman Noel McNamara says CCTV cameras have been effective in preventing and solving crime in Melbourne's CBD and some regional centres.

But he says more cameras are needed, particularly in the suburbs.

"Anything that's going to help reduce the amount of violence around Victoria is a great thing and if this is going to reduce the violence we now have in the suburbs then it will be good for the community," he said.

"It's been a big issue, especially in the CBD where most of the violence seems to happen, and that also goes out to the regional cities too.

"The sooner we can do something about it, the better it will be for everyone."

But civil liberties groups warn increasing the number of cameras would affect privacy.

Spencer Zifcak from Liberty Victoria says there are already thousands of cameras in Victoria.

He says there are only isolated examples of CCTV being used to solve crimes and no evidence they work in prevention.

"There seems to be no significant relationship between the two. The Australian Insitute of Criminology and the Sydney Institute of Crimonology have conducted research on this, and they say the evidence is at best ambiguous," he said.

"Such an effect that occurs is simply to displace crime to other areas rather than making sure that the crimes themselves are prevented."

Mr Zifcak says although the community may be shocked and fearful following the death of Jill Meagher, proposals to increase surveillance should be carefully considered.

"This is precisely the sort of time when you need to hold back and think carefully about what measures one might take, rather than panicking and taking measures that for reasons of individual privacy might be quite inappropriate and may be abused further down the track."