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Article #215: Does CCTV Really Reduce Crime?

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In the UK, home of twenty percent of the the scene in a timely fashion.
world's CCTV cameras, there is mounting There are many concerns for the rights of
concern about its invasion and lack of citizens caught on tape as well. What,
regulation. "UK Public CCTV Surveillance for instance, is the policy on who sees
Regulation Campaign." what faces and how long those faces
The thought-provoking questions they ask remain on tape and where?
are good ones. To what other uses and outside firms will
They want to know, for instance, why, if information garnered by CCTV be handed
television programming and licensing is out? Will racial profiles of
so heavily regulated in the UK that the neighborhoods, for instance, be sold to
same legislators have never considered commercial marketing companies? If these
licensing for CCTV use and installation? videos are sold to outside firms what's
They ask also if the crime statistics to keep them from using them in
touted by CCTV proponents are accurate, commercial ways that would include the
or if the criminals are merely being display of photos? Might not an
moved down the road to commit crimes advertising agency, for instance, use the
elsewhere. photo of a prominent person such as an
They want to know if civil liberties are entertainer or politician, as part of an
being taken into consideration, or if advertising campaign? And if so, what
they're ignored and thus violated. They about the rights of said entertainer or
want to know if close circuit television politician? What about her or his rights
is really worth what they're paying for to financially gain from the commercial
it. Does it really, for instance, deter enterprise?
crime, provide swift proof of guilt and These and many other questions are being
reduce the number of police officers asked by concerned British residents who
needed to keep a vigilant watch? see CCTV as potentially invasive if not
They also ruminate about whether these regulated, and in the hands of the wrong
cameras, once in place, are actually people.
being adequately monitored. If, in fact, They also point out zealously that the
there are enough folks doing the watching May 2000 Declaration of Human Rights,
that quick response can be affected once delivered in Strasbourg, confirms the
a crime in action is caught on camera. If illegality of the unregulated and
that is not the case – if, in fact, undisclosed use of CCTV. Its Article 8
as they suspect, one person is paid to stated it to be an interference to the
view a vast number of monitors at one applicant's right to expectation of
time, then the cost of the equipment may privacy and that this interference was a
in fact not be offset by the policing direct result of its not being regulated
authorities' availability to arrive on by any governing agency.






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