Thursday, January 17, 2008

Brittish CCTV "worthless"?

Apparently, CCTV cameras work pretty well when scaring off premeditated crime, such as car burglaries.
Warding of violent criminals, drunk vandals, and people infuriated because "you done did disrespect them" is not a CCTV forte.

"In terms of town centres, where a lot of the behaviour is violent behaviour, often fuelled by alcohol, people aren't thinking rationally. They get angry, the CCTV is the last thing they are thinking about."
"Even the presence of police officers doesn't deter the disorder on the street, so cameras are unlikely to deter them."

A grim reminder of the fact that even though CCTV systems may help catch criminals after the fact, they do not protect your life, they do not mend broken bones, they do not bring you back from the dead. A gang of teenage criminals was out vandalising a car. When the husband of the cars owner interviened, he was beaten down and kicked untill he went into a coma, he died.

The events were caught on camera, but the poor man still died, his wife and daughter are still heartbroken.

Surveillance isn't worthless in terms of crimefighting, but it does little if anything to keep you safe. Aren't most murders "spur of the moment" events? Isn't that why guns are so bad, because somebody who gets enraged might go and get a gun to kill you?

Cameras don't save lifes, self defence save lifes!
Cameras only make your murderer a celeberty.

3 comments:

Ryan said...

CCTC is great for catching and convicting criminals AFTER THE FACT.

badthing1 said...

Hi Michael,

Does that mean that we should stop allowing those surgeon general's health warnings on cigarette packages, because apparently they work pretty well when scaring off potential smokers?

Hence, in MY opinion, doing SOMETHING to insure a healthier, safer society is far better than doing NOTHING, and so yes, I'm still for the cameras.

Michael Hawkins said...

Oh I don't mind a camera here and there, I make objection to people who say things like:

"they can place thousands of them around the UK's cities and any other country's cities for that matter, everyone.
The end result will be a safer, cleaner lifestyle for the population"


Since they do not make a real difference in the populations safety, your idea would be a horrible waste of money that could very well have been spent on better education, improving the job market, treating drug addiction etc. ...