Is it 1984 Big Brother watching us or just modern technology keeping us safe? Certainly there are few places we can go where our presence there will not be recorded.
Do they help stop crime, catch criminals, prevent crime. Recent events seem to show that CCTV is able to plot criminals movements but after the event such as in the 7/7 bombings. It also can track the last movements of victims of crime such as Joanna Yeates in Bristol. Sadly in both cases it did nor prevent the crimes.
Contrary to popular belief the police do not spend all day watching CCTV screens looking for criminals to catch. Images are recorded and downloaded later to view after an event. Only in town centre areas are private security firms contracted to scan an area for anti social behaviour and report to the police.
Other recent advancements include automatic number plate recognition. (APNR). A system that instantly notifies the operator if a vehicle is stolen, uninsured or involved in a crime. Other than the police getting lucky and stopping a car to find out it is uninsured, there is no other way of catching uninsured drivers.
Of course with any system it is open to abuse from the State and with APNR cameras positioned on all major trunk roads and motorways the state has the ability to track the movements of anyone, including you and me. Of course there is the argument that if you have done nothing wrong why worry?
Here in Germany, insurers notify the vehicle registry office if the car is uninsured. They send out bailiffs to take the number plates away. On the number plate at the back , are two badges, one it the TÜV(MOT), the other the registration badge. If the car is taken off the road for whatever reason, the registration badge is scraped off. There is a charge for this too, and an even hefty one if the car is being used on the road, plus a visit to court for driving while uninsured.
ReplyDeleteCCTV in the UK is great, and to be honest, who cares if the police are or might be tracking them...unless of course one has given them a motive to do that.
They have been a great help in solving some of the worst crimes. We all remember those two lads who took a baby from a shopping centre and murdered him later on. CCTV captured the moment the images of those boys. Just that one example of how good they are, overrides any argument about some sinister and unfounded suspicion of being spied on.
I think in general it is a good thing, however we the public should be entitled to request any footage taken on a public camera in the same way we can access Data by application to Data Protection office. I have had a number of incidents where police stn CCTV would have proved police abuse or other incident only to be told it wasn't on at the time, how do we counter this?
ReplyDeleteThe problem with being governed by a regime of traitors, liars and pension grabbing thieves, is that one is inclined to mistrust all and everything. I think that basically the idea is good, but someone should be held responsible to ensure that they are working and not just there for show. Should one be turned off and a crime committed, then the person responsible for the camera should be charged with aiding and abetting that crime.
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