Comments on: CCTV Not Solving Crimes

By: bago

bago — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:30:51 +0000

Face it, with infinite storage everything you do will be recorded and analyzed. You should focus on a privacy framework instead of fighting the future. The ads on this page know more about you than you know.

By: Dave Krueger

Dave Krueger — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:01:16 +0000

Usually when a government program doesn’t work, the answer is to increase the size of the program. Ultimately, that’s probably what will happen with Britain’s surveillance camera system.

By: Dave Krueger

Dave Krueger — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:59:15 +0000

#1 Jonathan Hohensee
I still oppose it, and despise the idea that Big Brother can watch whatever I do whenever I do it, but I think what a lot of hysterical kneejerk Orwell quoting types forget is that the government isn’t always good at doing what it does.

As the official spokeman for all hysterical kneejerk Orwell quoting types, I can tell you that not a single one of us feels the government is “good at doing what it does”. The idea that the government might be too inept to use its surveillance as a tool to crack down on though crime, does nothing to bolster our sense of security or make us any less hysterical or kneejerky. Not being able to do something well has never hindered the government from doing it anyway.

By: La Rana

La Rana — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:22:36 +0000

I think cameras mark the end of our free society, but I also think you’ve got the wrong metric here Radley. The better argument for cameras is that they serve as a deterrent, and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that they work in that regard.

By: Pat Rogers

Pat Rogers — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:02:12 +0000

They have recently started installing cameras in my town.

Ostensibly for the usual crime deterrence reasons.

The cameras are on most corners in the downtown now. Three on the block in front of the newspaper office. It seems that last year there was a person who shot at the paper building. The person was never caught. The potential is that it was an off duty police officer angered by a story.

So in our town CCTV is as much a Catch the Cop TV system as anything.

By: anonymi

anonymi — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:40:07 +0000

Human ingenuity in the face of such crap can be amazing. Read this article from the telegraph about this band which used CCTVs around London, to make a music video.

Here is the video on youtube.

By: supercat

supercat — Sat, 10 May 2008 21:10:38 +0000

//How can Big Brother crack down on thought crimes if using CCTV really isn’t effective on stopping robberies?//

CCTV would be much more effective for the former than the latter. If the government suspects Winston Smith may be up to some ungoodness, it can track him to see where he goes, and who he spends how much time with. It can track the people with whom he seems to have overly conversant, and see who they meet.

CCTV is not that great at solving crimes, because most crimes don’t start out with any ‘hot leads’, and CCTV isn’t very good at catching ‘cold ones’. On the other hand, if the objective is to track down anyone who might question the government, and if the government has any suspicions to start with, CCTV can be effective.

By: Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:25:24 +0000

alan moore was right.

By: Packratt

Packratt — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:13:49 +0000

UCrawford,

Unfortunately, even when CCTV cameras are placed in public places, how can you guarantee that the lens will stay trained on that public place?

Evidently… You can’t.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/06/cctv_peeping_toms/

…after all, while the watchers watch us, who watches them?

By: UCrawford

UCrawford — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:41:23 +0000

In the town I lived in, CCTV helped the police catch and convict two serial rapists. I get why people don’t like the cameras, but so long as they’re only used in public areas and not on private property against the owners’ will I’ve really got no problem with them. I don’t see it as much different than hiring more police officers, except the camera’s not going to beat the crap out of you because it has a bad day and a personality disorder.

That said, I hope like hell that speed cameras stay a rarity over here. Absolutely hate those things.

By: OGRE

OGRE — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:14:10 +0000

pounds of euros

oh, and as if it were ever about solving crimes. lol thats funny…

By: Jonathan Hohensee

Jonathan Hohensee — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:18:35 +0000

Although I oppose them still, this news kinds of takes the fire out of the “oppressive police state” argument against video surveillance. How can Big Brother crack down on thought crimes if using CCTV really isn’t effective on stopping robberies?
I still oppose it, and despise the idea that Big Brother can watch whatever I do whenever I do it, but I think what a lot of hysterical kneejerk Orwell quoting types forget is that the government isn’t always good at doing what it does.

despite billions of pounds spent on the new technology
Pounds of what?
badumdum