To my mind, there are several other key strategies that should be deployed in the CCTV arena to dramatically reduce crime.
The new measures announced – including the use of new technology from the advertising sector, posting images of criminality on the Internet and building a national CCTV image bank – merely enhance the feeling that we’re focusing on reactive observations of crime rather than enabling proactive prevention.
As Mike Neville has correctly pointed out, one of the biggest challenges in terms of CCTV being effective is ensuring that the watchers are themselves being watched. Clearly, many of today’s surveillance teams don’t have enough time to monitor all footage and respond to what’s happening. That being the case, the Visual Images, Identifications and Detections Office must look to deploy ‘smart’ CCTV systems that can analyse the behaviour of criminals as criminality happens.
These ‘smart’ surveillance systems transmit a video image that’s then automatically monitored for a range of simple to complex behaviours (including undue dwell times, loitering and intrusion).
With the UK readying itself for the 2012 London Olympics, it’s vital that the security services don’t rely on outdated systems to prevent and detect malicious activity. The promised initiatives will go some way towards improving the situation, but there’s still some way to go if we’re to realise CCTV’s full potential in reducing crime on our streets.