The Impact of CCTV Cameras on Crime Rate in Australia - Literature review Example

Running head: The Impacts of CCTVs Cameras on Crime Rate in Australia The Impact of CCTV Cameras on Crime Rate in Australia Name Instructor Submission Date The impact of CCTV Cameras on crime rate in Australia 1.0 The issue and background to the debate Greenhaigh (2003) crimes is increasing at an alarming rate globally. This is causing a drag in the economic and social developments in different countries. This poses a great challenge for governments involved. As a result all forms of preventions and ways to solve this trend in crime rate is used. With the technology advancement the idea of using it to solve and reduce crime rates is being employed. Wilson & Sutton (2004) among many forms of technologies used to detect and prevent crime rates closed circuits television well known as CCTVs have been on the lead. They are surveillance cameras and they capture the movements and images of what is happening. William (2011) just like in other countries, the government of Australia has embarked on using the CCTV to boost their security systems. The fact has helped the police force to handle the crime rates the state faces. Wilson & Sutton (2004) crimes can be defined as an act or activity that by law is wrong and punishable by law. They are those acts that are deemed to be harmful in the society to the people. Crimes are of different categories they can be personal crimes, property crimes and statutory crimes. A few can be mentioned which include prostitution, drug abuse, robbery, murder, theft, homicide, conspiracy, drunk driving that cause accidents and carjacking the list is endless. Greenhaigh (2003) since the time of its invention in 1942 in Germany by engineer Walter Bruch, CCTVs use has their reasonable share of advantages and disadvantages in their usages. The first CCTV to be used in the public space of Australia was in July 1991 in Perth due to increase in crime rates. With time they were expanded in the transport sector and were privately used within people’s homes. The program was financially intensive however. 2.0 The social significance of the use of CCTV on crime rates 2. 1. To prevent the crime and detect criminals Wilson & Sutton (2004) the use of the closed circuit television to prevent crime and detect criminals has had social impacts and significance on the people. The significance have been from the positive and negative view. On the positive side the CCTVs have had positive social importance on the people. This is because in a survey to find out whether people felt that the CCTVs were a violation of their privacy they said no. To them they are fine being watched if this means a better secure live for them. When a CCTV is installed in a neighborhood the people there feel that the government is investing more and concerned with their safety. They have the notion that they are safe and that the number of crimes will reduce and such instances will be attended at very fast. The people are able to live in harmony and increase their socialization. Travis (2009) but, on the negative side a place that has the cameras fitted is mainly assumed to be area of high level of crimes this may keep people in fear and can lead to disorganization. William (2011) the CCTVs in Australia help prevent crimes as the image of what is happening is recorded and transmitted to a screen where a person is monitoring. The program necessitates quick detection of the criminals as any criminal activity can be detected. And with a quick response system the criminals and be arrested hence prevent a crime that was bound to take place. Travis (2009) unfortunately, this though has not been fully achieved since the response system has been very low. The person in charge of monitoring the CCTVs images can be one with over 20 screens to monitor. A fact which would be impossible for them to watch every movement and activity in the area they are in charge. Hence, the criminals may just go undetected. The installation is quite expensive and the expenses all land on the Australian citizen taxpayers. The previous studies in Australia have shown that the number of surveillance cameras has increased in the transport sector and it has helped reduce the crimes in the bus, trains and planes (Wilson & Sutton, 2004). But instance that occurred in the airport raised eyebrows as someone was killed in the broad day light with all the cameras in the airport, yet that went undetected prior to crime event. And questions of whether these cameras are really working rose. 2.2 Use more technology to keep the cities safe Greenhaigh (2003) people expect the cameras to do work that they were not designed to do. Something that will never happen, and will always lead to the ambiguous question of whether the CCTV are doing their work? Whether their installation is helping or not? The CCTVs alone cannot do the whole work of preventing and detecting the crimes. Wilson & Sutton (2004) the cameras can record and transmit the images captured, but it is hard to identify someone who is doing something that is different from others. So the use of intelligence CCTVS could be a technology that can help a lot. It would be used to detect people having odd or different movements from other people. The use of technologies like facial recognition could help in aiding the CCTVs. Such that as someone’s face appears in the cameras doing something wrong, a data available can be run along so as to identify who they are and be able to track them down. Travis (2009) the facial recognition however, faces many challenges that prevent its effectiveness. Such includes factors like; to have a good result there should be a large data base for the people so as to have all the faces. It’s very few organizations that have a wide database of people even the police force themselves. The other challenge is where people who want to commit a crime may cover themselves or mask their faces such that the system is unable to recognize. 3.0The aims of CCTVs cameras 3.1 Reduced the fear of crime The CCTV cameras use is one of the various ways that reduces fear of crimes. Wilson & Sutton (2004) studies show that with the presence in the public space of cameras people feel safe and can frequent the places. Also, areas with cameras attract many buyers as people are comfortable shopping there. Subsequently, this helps improve the economic development as the cameras pose positive economic impact on the consumers and the nation at large. William (2011) the feeling about these reduced fears may have mixed reactions, but there is a reduced level of fear of crime with people who are under surveillance. However, this applies only to the people who are aware that they are under the cameras. Areas that have reduced fear of crime do have an increase in the number of people using them which leads to increased natural surveillance which encourages people to be security conscious. 3.2. Helps in police investigation Wilson & Sutton (2004) despite the CCTV having a leading role in prevention of crime they also can be used in detection of a crime. Police use CCTVs tapes to help in convicting offenders. The footages helps the police to come up with witnesses to a case who could not have come forward on their own if there were no footage from the CCTVs available. The quality of the images from these cameras has been low. Once the police detect a crime somewhere, the offender is arrested immediately on the sight and just within the views of the CCTV. The footage is used by the investigators to compile a guilty plea and convict the offender. Wilson (2004) identified that the fact that the cameras help to aid investigation may lead to offenders avoiding those crimes that will take long and those that will lead them to be captured on the cameras hence reduced crimes. 4.0 Can surveillance cameras be successful in preventing crime? The question of the cameras effectiveness has brought up heated debates all over. Some claim that they are doing little to help while others find it to be quite helpful. Though, a 100 percent success has not been achieved in their installation but there has been success from the different uses of the CCTV we have seen. Once a crime is detected, if there is active monitoring of the cameras the police are deployed to the area of the incident. Greenhaigh (2003) when people know they are being watched and evidence against them will be available, they try and avoid the crimes. The people caught are detained and this solves the short term rate of crimes. But for the cameras to be effective the persons have to know the presence of the cameras and they have to know they are being watched. In addition, the use of CCTVs has to be exercised so that its impact is deeply felt. Wilson & Sutton (2004) the cameras are faced with challenges that make them not reduce the crime rates. This is mainly due to the unintended consequences it brings. The first is displacement; if cameras are installed at particular place offenders shifts their operation to another place. Secondly, they lead to suspicion where people have negative ideas over the existence of cameras at a place people feel like they are being spied on. Lastly, increased reports of crimes, many crimes go unreported not that they do not happen, but they are not seen. But with the cameras many do not go unrecorded hence increased number of reported crimes. In conclusion, despite the different challenges people still believe in the cameras and they are helpful. They have necessitated crime reduction and they should be used to improve the security and reduce cries. Different changes as discussed up should be incorporated to get the best results. References Greenhaigh, S. (2003) Literature Review on Issues of Privacy and Surveillance Affecting Social Behavior. Alberta: Information and Privacy Commissioner Office. Travis A. (2009). CCTV schemes in city and town centers have little effect on crime. Surveillance Report, pp 1-31. William M. (2011, August 24th). The city with spirits: CCTV cameras. Media Release. Australia: Devoport media and communications. Wilson, D. & Sutton, A. (2004). Watched over or over-watched? Open Street CCTV in Australia. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 37(2), 211-230. Read More