As reported by the BBC and the national media in general, cuts in public spending have left police force numbers across the UK at their lowest for nine years.
Indeed, those numbers have decreased steadily since last August’s rioting in the UK, in some areas by up to 10%.
This decrease means that many forces are relying more heavily on CCTV to act as a supportive element in the fight against crime, with surveillance working hand-in-hand with traditional detection methods in order to maintain public safety.
Since the riots, CCTV systems have been crucial in the apprehension of many those involved.
Recently, CCTV images have been integrated with mobile phone technology in a move to more actively involve the public in apprehending those responsible for the violence and theft during the riots and prevent any further disorder.
Along with this, advances in the image resolution and technical quality of CCTV devices has enhanced the ability of such systems to act as cost-effective surveillance support for depleted police units, in turn allowing limited national and Government resources to be effectively allocated to other areas of crime prevention.
Increased effectiveness of CCTV systems
According to Simon Adcock, chairman of the BSIA’s CCTV Section, the availability of higher resolution cameras, more flexible IP-based transmission options, improved storage and more advanced software is continually increasing the effectiveness of CCTV systems while also bringing down the cost.
“Based on surveys following the riots,” said Adcock, “public space CCTV has enjoyed widespread public support and provides a major contribution to both the perception and the reality of public safety. It’s a contribution that looks set to increase.”
Adcock went on to state: ”CCTV is perhaps the most obvious route in the search for technological support for the police service. The results gained by forces in London, Birmingham, Manchester and across the UK in the wake of the riots support this. It’s a technology which has the versatility to work in almost any environment, day or night, and will allow Government resources to be spread wider and go further.”
Of the many successful arrests of those involved in the riots, over 3,000 were assisted by CCTV footage. As such, it’s hoped that such technology will become an even more accepted part of public life, and that the industry as a whole will become one of the cornerstones of crime prevention across the nation.
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