Law Enforcement Tool or Societal Repression Weapon - Assignment Example

CCTV CCTV Technology: Law Enforcement Tool or Societal Repression Weapon by Terrance Jones Academic Research CCTV 2 For years, law enforcement officials have engaged in heated debates about how best to secure its cities and the facilities within them. Manpower shortages and rapidly expanding threat variances have facilitated an environment where technological advancements must be used to neutralize those shortages. This theory has long been practiced in prisons and facilities in need of viable security measures. The security voids in these prisons and facilities has been filled by the use of CCTV technology. This has given researchers a working model of modular use of CCTV as a dual phase preventive measure/ force projection apparatus that complements the strategic use of security forces in prisons and facilities that need advanced security. The success of CCTV has led many to suggest that it be expanded throughout cities as a way to deter crime and enhance security. The use of CCTV technology has a theoretical predecessor that was developed and suggested as a crime deterrent over 200 years ago. Please note the following: 'For instance, most of the sociological and criminological literature on CCTV has been dominated by images of the Panopticon, Jeremy Bentham's proposal, written in 1787, for an architectural system of social discipline, applicable to prisons, factories, workhouses and asylums.' Norris, McCahill, CCTV: Beyond Penal Modernism CCTV 3 As you can see, redundant societal security measures have always been considered through the tandem continuity of technological advancements and strategic use of structures and facilities in order to neutralize any problems that could cause security risks due to manpower shortages. While the theory of expanded use of CCTV has countless potential benefits, there are those who would suggest that the increased coverage area of CCTV could and would infringe on the societal rights of citizens. This opposing contingent believes that citizens have a right to move freely throughout their country without being monitored. They see the use of CCTV as more of a tool of societal repression than a criminal deterrent. Those who represent these views are living in an era where they will have to make tough decisions should a vote for CCTV legislation develop as a result of this topic, as terrorism is a rapidly increasing threat that has made law enforcement official's job of distinguishing between generic criminals and the more dangerous terrorist criminals extremely more difficult. These factors must be reconciled with modern assessment of the following mindsets: 'The old penology was concerned with the identification of the individual criminal for the purpose of ascribing guilt and blame, and the imposition of punishment and treatment.' Note: CCTV 4 This approach represents a time that has long passed, as the days of one matrix criminal assessment groupings is outdated. This is due to changes in societal activity that is affected and manipulated by the economy, size of the civilian population versus the numerical troop strength of law enforcement institutions and the variances of global and region specific threat analysis variables that cause exertive effects on homeland crime rates, as these variables all work in cyclical continuity with one another. Feeley and Simon believe that modern penology factors are 'concerned with techniques for identifying classifying and managing groups assorted by levels of dangerousness.' Norris, McCahill, CCTV: Beyond Penal Modernism Page 98 (Feeley, Simon, 1994:180) Note: This quote articulates the strategic premise from which all CCTV based initiatives operate from. Threat variables such as nuclear proliferation and other lethal weapons of mass destruction have increased the need for more redundant and all encompassing (in all attempts that are geared towards finding a way to neutralize these threats) strategies that can best implement the containment and control strategies that have a high probability of preventing and limiting the damage of criminal, terrorist and military attacks. CCTV 5 Considerable research has been conducted in strategic areas of London in order to validate the theoretical assertion that expanded CCTV technology use will play a major role in contributing to the success of criminal deterrence strategies. Countless telephone interviews were conducted in order to keep the door open to any alternative views as to the societal effects of CCTV use as a redundant control security measure. The use of CCTV has presented irrefutable proof that it streamlines manpower requirements that can be used to augment security needs elsewhere. In many cases, the use of CCTV prevents crimes by a majority of less dangerous criminals who are aware of some of the placement areas of CCTV technology. This helps law enforcement officials focus on potentially more dangerous crimes and criminal activity that can be monitored by electronic surveillance. It is also important to note what the CCTV research has discovered about the force projection benefits of the use of CCTV technology in cities: Similarly, while the expansion of CCTV in the semi-public space of the mall and other retail environments is driven by 'beyond the state interests' of loss prevention and commercial image, these systems can be easily and routinely co-opted for traditional policing. In this respect, the deregulization and privatization of crime control provide 'extra eyes and ears for the police' and extra 'pieces of evidence for prosecutors', and what we are witnessing 'is a 'rolling out" rather than a rolling back" of the state.' (Hudson 2001: 156) CCTV 6 Here we see an example of societal interaction that translates into societal compliance with law enforcement initiatives that are in the best interests of society as a whole. This is facilitated through the use of CCTV technology that encourages positive interaction between law enforcement officials and civilians. This type of interaction increases the chances of societal compliance on a region by region basis. The cumulative effects of this strategy is a majority acceptance factor by citizens that allows CCTV technology to be used over increased operational areas to suit predetermined containment and control preventive security measures. Modern problems in the penal system has assisted the rapid rise of CCTV use, as overcrowded prisons and the crimes that occur in those prisons as a result of that has validated the need for and use of CCTV technology as a way to reduce these type of crimes so that prison officials can maintain order and allow prisoners the opportunity to be rehabilitated properly. This strategy could be one of the most beneficial crime deterrent factors as a result of the proper use and implementation of CCTV based crime deterrence. Societal variances that have led to increases in criminal behavior, has and will continue to validate the need for more redundant control of cities, as they are heavily populated and can be used by criminals to spark civil unrest and significant spikes in varying degrees of criminal CCTV 7 behavior. Once again, this includes criminal behavior from terrorist and military enemies. The following is an example of how dangerous city environments can become if criminal trends are not deterred by all available means: For instance, in 1993, the Audit Commission published a report that was scathing about the inability of the police to stem crime rates. It stated, given current in crime figures and clear-ups, by 2002, the number of recorded crimes will have exceeded nine million and the overall clear-up rate could drop to 18 percent. Norris, McCahill, CCTV: Beyond Penal Modernism Page 101 (Audit Commission 1993: 8-9) Figures like these implore proponents of the CCTV based crime deterrent strategy to speak up and share the positive results of their research with detractors who could possible block and rescind use of the CCTV based strategies to the detriment of the civilian population law enforcement institutions are tasked with defending. The violent reality of terrorism only increases the support for an expanded use of CCTV technology. Successful terrorist acts are sobering examples that prove the need for technological assistance in helping law enforcement officials carry out their duties. The rise in asymmetrical warfare as an approved strategy of CCTV 8 conventional, military and terrorist enemy/ criminals, only exacerbates the need for increased use of CCTV technology on a daily basis. In a world that is growing increasingly more dangerous by the minute, it is imperative that law enforcement officials merge their manpower assets with all available technological assets in hopes of averting the catastrophic atrocities that occur as a result of global terrorism from diverse regions, doctrines and sectarian groups in addition to the threats posed by terrorist nation-states who are getting ever closer to acquiring a nuclear weapons capability through covert means or through alliances. While these threat variables appear to affect the security of foreign policy initiatives, in reality, they are a part of a constantly evolving cycle of war and diplomacy variables that have the ability to destabilize the interior security infrastructure of a given nation. There has been significant progress made in preventing crime through CCTV based monitoring and surveillance initiatives. This crime deterrence strategy has undergone extensive research that suggests that if its areas of operation and implementation are increased, crime could be streamlined considerably. Due to the aforementioned threat variables that affect a nation's national and international security initiatives, it would be potentially disastrous to ignore the limitless possibilities of crime deterrence that could be gauged by an increased use of CCTV technology. CCTV 9 References Adams, Thomas F. (1990), " Police Field Operations." New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Audit Commission (1993), "Helping with Enquiries: Tackling Crime Effectively." London: HMSO Bent, Allan E., and Ralph A. Rossum. (1976) " Police, Criminal Justice, and the Community." New York: Harper & Row Cromwell, Paul F., Jr., and Keefer, George.(1973) "Police and Community Relations- A Sourcebook." California: Glencoe Druri, I. (1995), "City Challenge," CCTV Today 2/6: 28-30 Feeley, M. and Simon J. (1994), "Acturial Justice: The Emerging New Criminal Law" in D. Nelken, ed., "The Futures of Criminology." London: Sage Hoffman, Bruce. (1998), "Defining Terrorism," United States: Columbia University Press Howard,Russell D(Colonel USA)., and Sawyer, Reid L. (2003), "Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Understanding the New Security Environment." Hudson, B (2001), "Punishment, Rights and Difference: Defending Justice in the Risk Society," in K. Stenson and R.R. Sullivan, eds, "Crime, Risk and Justice: The Politics of Crime Control in Liberal Democracies." Devon: Willan Publishing Sullivan, John L. (1971) "Introduction to Police Science." United States: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Read More