General Discussion
CCTV Saves Businesses Money During Recession
Another interesting and positive story on the home page of this website.
The headline statistics of more than 500 arrests and £37,946 of stolen property recovered in the past year is an excellent testimony of how worthwhile our much-envied CCTV system is.
Well done to all concerned for helping businesses and private individuals to feel safer and more secure.
great, but most of this relates to newton abbot not much happens with the cctv in dawlish, if and when its working
Oh, so now Viaduct is intimating that the police are lying! Here's a shovel for that hole you're digging...
You hate good news, don't you?
our much-envied CCTV system.
A Rather bold statement Roy when it is Newton Abbot's figures they are using, that's fine for them, but Dawlish cameras have not caught one criminal according to local our Bobby.
Hello Roy! I think you will find this story has shot your praises about CCTV in Dawlish to bits.
I could say CCTV is working, but where is the evidence? Saying what they do is only justifying their existence. The only evidence I have seen regarding CCTV in Dawlish, is that it cost the taxpayer close on £100,000 and now we have some carrot by the name of Hazel Percy (an ex Cllr) asking how we are going to fund the refurbishment of the pavilion at Sandy Lane, after it has gained grade 11 recogonition. To me the answer to her question is pretty simple --- Don't spend taxpayers money on the wrong projects.
Big Brother isn't working: How £500m of CCTV cameras does 'next to nothing' to cut crime
'Modest' impact: Around 4.2million CCTV cameras are thought to be operating in Britain but their presence hasn't had a significant effect on crime
The millions of CCTV cameras on Britain's streets have done virtually nothing to cut crime, Home Office research has revealed.
Cameras in town centres, housing estates and on public transport 'did not have a significant effect', a report concluded.
It found that the only offence that was heavily reduced by their presence was theft from vehicles in car parks.
The findings are a further blow to Home Office officials and police chiefs who have turned to CCTV as their main weapon in preventing crime.
About 4.2million cameras are thought to be operating and at least £500million of taxpayers' money has been spent installing them.
But the report, by Cambridge University academic David Farrington for the Campbell Collaboration study group and funded by the Home Office, said cameras should only be used in specific target areas where they are known to be effective - rather than the 'current broad application'.
Critics of CCTV say that improving police patrols or street lighting would be more effective, and that cameras can even increase crime by encouraging people to drop their guard.
A House of Lords report in January advised Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to look again at whether CCTV helps reduce crime.
This is what you said previously on this subject. "
ROY, so now Viaduct is intimating that the police are lying! Here's a shovel for that hole you're digging...
As I said before the cameras here in Dawlish have not caught and prosecuted one criminal act. Obviously you are quite happy that the council wasted and continue to waste our money on cameras that do not work.
How big is that hole you dug for yourself?
You obviously have never heard of the "Campbell Collaboration" and are unaware of their prejudices.
According to the Home Office, the provisional budget for all UK police forces in 2010/11 is £4.8 billion. While the police spend that money on many useful and necessary activities, they also waste a considerable amount of that money placating the public (bobbies walking the beat, for instance).
Even the CCTV systems we have in place now (installed without reference to a national strategy of any sort) are making an impact on the cost of crime. For instance, it's been shown time and again that good quality video evidence will secure a confession from a criminal who would otherwise tie up hours of police, solicitor and court time. A criminal who has confessed will get a shorter prison sentence which will save money. He/she may also be identified at an earlier stage in their criminal career when they may respond more readily to intervention schemes to get them off drugs and into education and employment.
Finally, anyone who doubts the effectiveness of CCTV in identifying criminals (even the ones wearing hoodies and caps) should look up the Metropolitan Police Service VIIDO scheme and see the impact that a forensic approach to CCTV imagery analysis has on suspect identification.