CCTV. FAIL.

 

A good article from over the pond on the failure of CCTV to make us anymore safer. In fact it goes on to propound that in fact they make us less safe.

Although it's comforting to imagine vigilant police monitoring every camera, the truth is very different, for a variety of reasons: technological limitations of cameras, organizational limitations of police and the adaptive abilities of criminals. No one looks at most CCTV footage until well after a crime is committed. And when the police do look at the recordings, it's very common for them to be unable to identify suspects. Criminals don't often stare helpfully at the lens and -- unlike the Dubai assassins -- tend to wear sunglasses and hats. Cameras break far too often.

In London the figures for crime solved by CCTV is 1 in every 1,000 cameras. Not a very good success rate I would have thought. And those cameras cost the taxpayer £200 million.

Source

And although a police officer on the street can respond to a crime in progress, someone watching a CCTV screen can only dispatch an officer to arrive much later. By their very nature, cameras result in underused and misallocated police resources.

I think that the £200 million would have been better spent on recruiting a few more Plods.

Full article over on CNN.

They don't make me feel safe.

This morning I went to get my paper. On returning to my home, I reflected how things had changed over the years. This thought was prompted by taking out my keys to unlock the front door. I can't remember when I was a kid, ever seeing a door locked. How things have changed.

My house has two locks on the front door, three on the back one, all the downstairs windows have security devices, and there is an alarm fitted.Which brings me to the point in question.

Where has the visual policing gone?

Only a few years ago, the village had it's own Bobby, Kevin by name, and 6' 2" tall. Kevin used to walk round the village, passing the day with anyone he met, always on the move. Even in the high street of the nearest town, you could not help to bump into at least one Policeman, during the course of a few minutes.

Then came the rationalisation (Cuts) in the force. (Sorry again, service I should have said).

Nowadays the only police you are likely to see are those that dash past in their police cars, going where, is anyones guess.

God help you though, if you do meet up with one of these creatures. I popped into a petrol station a few weeks ago. When I came out from paying, I was confonted by a tall, shaven headed individual, that was attired in dark blue, festooned with menacing looking objects, and a completely humour free demeanour.

I was asked, "Please get in the back of the Police car, Sir". I dread to think what would have happened if I'd said "NO". He was so Completely devoid of any interpersonal skills, that I think he'd have called up his mates and had me locked away under the 42 day rule. Throughout my little interview, locked in the back of the Police car, I was made to feel like an axe murderer.

That little incident has made me wary, if not somewhat scared, of approaching any member of our so called police service. I really felt threatened at the time. No wonder the Government has had to bring in CCTV and PCSOs'. (I will rant about the uselessness of PCSOs' another time.)

It's about time the police got out and related with the public they serve. They might find that with our help they would catch a few criminals.