A Failure in Two Countries

The installation of closed circuit cameras, by the government, in public areas, is touted by the powers that be as a crime deterrent.  Unfortunately, there is no tangible evidence that the cameras actually provide the service as touted.  The cameras actually simply provide a placebo for professional job holders to hand like candy to the herd, to soothe those pyschologically terrified by crime.

Here’s a blurb regarding their effectiveness in Washington D.C.

Many D.C. police said they had hoped that installing dozens of new surveillance cameras across the city would assist them in cracking down on crime, but the system does not appear to be working as planned.

Here’s a blurb regarding their effectiveness in Britain.

But are people right to believe that cameras are keeping them safer? According to Martin Gill, professor of criminology at the University of Leicester, they are not. He conducted a study for the Home Office of 14 surveillance systems around the country and found that, in general, the installation of cameras has very little impact on crime. In only one of the 14 areas could a drop in crime levels be linked to CCTV.

Blurb regarding cameras in D.C. taken from this article.

Police: Cameras Not Helping Fight Crime Much

Blurb regarding cameras in Britain taken from this Brendan O’Neill piece.

Watching you, watching me

O’Neill piece linked via Samizdata.

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