If you install CCTV – and who doesn’t? – your initial reaction might possibly be unprintable.
Ironically, the report comes from the party who have seemingly carried out a backstabbing on their own leader – much of it caught on camera.
However, in the light of recent “surveillance society” fears being whipped up, it would be wise for the industry to come up with a sturdy refutation of these claims.
For instance the study seems to ignore the fact that CCTV is a deterrent. Those big yellow notices are not primarily designed to brighten up our bleak urban landscape. Nor is their main purpose to help Joe Bloggs get footage of himself on video, despite what some civil libertarians may think. They are there to make the little toads who roam our streets and transport systems think twice before they commit a crime.
No case to prove
The obvious defence of CCTV is that no one knows what it would be like without it. It’s no good saying there was a lot of crime a decade ago before we got CCTV but now there is still crime. Given society’s downward spiral (yet more proof), how many more incidents would there be now without the systems?
The study says police in London are no more likely to solve crime in areas with the most cameras. But those areas with the most cameras are invariably the ones that have historically suffered the most crime.
This report flies in the face of a multitude of CCTV success stories showing the dramatic reduction of incidents following installation. It flies in the face of all those images that have helped police and public identify and convict wanted individuals.
Anti-CCTV campaigners also argue vehemently that it merely displaces crime. But if that isn’t the plainest demonstration of its effectiveness as a deterrent then I don’t know what is.
Give it “bite”
Perhaps the Lib Dems should turn their attention to the real problem politicians have allowed to happen – that is the appallingly low rates of detection leading to conviction, regardless of CCTV.
CCTV is only as good as the “teeth” behind it. Figures like this are as good as telling the criminal “Don’t worry about the cameras – the chances are you won’t go to jail because there’s no room”.
We need many more police and we need them on the street working in tandem with CCTV and re-assuring the public rather than form filling at the station. But until this or the next government provides more prison places, the criminal will be laughing.
Surprise fighter
Despite the UK being the world leader in the use of this technology we see a bucket load of CCTV criticism in the media – even from within the ‘industry’ itself – so when is someone going to stand up and defend it?
But wait, France springs to our defence. Yes, a nation fiercely protective of its privacy, has just announced that they are following in our footsteps and tripling the number of CCTV cameras.
Said the interior minister: “The latest attacks in London were prevented thanks to their video surveillance system, [which is] ten times more developed than ours” Praise indeed. Vive le CCTV.
Response ability
I don’t want to be accused of police-bashing because they are doing the best job they can under imposed guidelines and a system that seems skewed to work against them.
But a long-time reader of Security Installer tells me he has decided to withdraw from his inspectorate because he was so dissatisfied with police response to his commercial alarm systems and he was taking a lot of criticism from his customers.
He told me “When we had a proper police response the professional thief left after six minutes when the chances of being caught increased dramatically. Now they don’t bother. The crimes happen at eleven onwards when the police are dealing with the pubs. They don’t turn up until three or four in the morning by which time I’ve changed the bell box and left. Only two out of 25 commercial customers have said they still need police response.”
We know that domestics are not likely to elicit a uniformed response with any kind of urgency, if any, but have you had similar experiences with your commercial systems?
Get your money back
Business is always tough for installers so make sure your credit card company is not pulling a fast one on you. The bank charge saga has been rumbling on for a couple of years now and you may have had money back – until a hold was put on reclaiming. But according to a “consumer revenge” website this hold doesn’t apply to credit card charges. The site alleges that credit card providers are keeping this quiet and have even played an outrageous con trick on judges. Here is a step-by-step guide and template letters purely focused on helping you reclaim those card charges.
Excellent installers
Finally, congratulations to our two winners in the installer category of the Security Excellence Awards 2007. They were Chris Lewis Security Services (large installer category) and Gardner Security (small installer category). Go to our online winners’ gallery.
See you next time,
Alan Hyder
Editor, Security Installer
