UK Home Office, CCTV doesn’t reduce crime : Simon Perry: Schemes, dreams & trivia

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UK Home Office, CCTV doesn’t reduce crime

21st September 2006 by Simon

(I’m having a clear out of old posting that didn’t hit the screen, but that are still relevant. Originally written 25.Feb.05)

The UK Home Office researchers have released a report into the effectivness of Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) in detering crime within city centres.

Surprisingly for an increasingly-lunatic Home Office, the published results aren’t positive for CCTV.

Only one of the fourteen areas studies reported a drop in crime and that was used to keep an eye on a car park. Other schemes in city centres, residential areas, and hospitals produced no clear benefits.

The reports author, Professor Martin Gill of the University of Leicester concluded that, because government funding was available for CCTV schemes, local officials tended to fit the cameras without any clear goal in mind.

Where did I dig this significant piece of news? Tucked away in a small article, of around eight paragraphs, at the bottom of page 12 of the Evening Standard.

This positioning is in stark contrast to when the idea of having CCTV in public areas was first introduced in the UK. Then front page splashes alternated between scaring the general public of the ‘tremndos’ threats hovered around every corner (no change there then); and telling the public how much safer their lives would be with CCTV.

Of course having CCTV for detecting crime isn’t required any more, it’s needed to protect us against ‘the terrorists’.

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