Prof. Martin Gill to lecture on CCTV surveillance policy - Wed 17th May, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge
Professor Martin Gill is due to lecture on CCTV surveillance:policy:
2:15pm Wednesday 17th May 2006
Lecture Theatre 1 - William Gates Building,
Computer Laboratory
University of Cambridge
CCTV in the UK: A Failure of Theory or A Failure of Practice?Martin Gill
perpetuitygroupAlthough CCTV was heralded as something of a silver bullet in the fight against crime (and by two Governments) scholarly research has questioned the extent to which it 'works'. Martin Gill led the Home Office national evaluation on CCTV and has subsequently conducted more research with CCTV schemes across the country. In this talk he will outline the findings from the national evaluation and assess the views of the public, scheme workers and offenders' perspectives (including showing film clips of offenders talking at crime scenes) to show just why CCTV has not worked out as many considered. Martin will relate these findings to the current development of a national strategy.
Comments
CCTV records crime. It doesn't prevent it. Obviously, surely.
What it does do is give the (relatively) low cost appearance of action where there is a problem. And these days perception and appearance are what count.
The past 20 years have been a good time for CCTV Salesmen but a poor one for privacy and respect for the citizen. It makes suspects of us all.
Posted by: sam_m | May 8, 2006 11:33 PM
CCTV is of just as much benefit to criminals as it is to law enforcement agencies, especially if coupled with wireless techonlogy. All that it does for the rest of us is pry into our lives un-necessarily. It physically hurts people like me who put great value on their privacy.
While I accept some limited uses for private CCTV systems, there is never a justification for public ones in our town centres, our housing estates or our roads.
Once the authorities realise that privacy is a birth right, not a privilage - the better it will be for all of us.
Posted by: Jake Long | May 9, 2006 12:35 AM