Although the rationale for CCTV use is that it “prevents crime”, a number of studies have questioned the assumptions underlying this claim and drawn attention to a complex range of factors that should be taken into account when assessing CCTV’s effectiveness. A report by the Campbell Collaboration claimed that CCTV has a “modest but significant desirable effect on crime” but that its use should be “more File Size: 77KB of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras on crime. Findings show that CCTV is associated with a significant and modest decrease in crime. The largest and most consistent effects of CCTV were observed in car parks. The analysis also generated evidence of significant crime reductions within other settings, particularly residential blogger.com by: 85 Mar 01, · The effectiveness of CCTV and improved street lighting has been studied extensively in terms of their potential for reducing the number of crimes in a certain area. However, this does not take into account the cost of the interventions or the savings due to crime blogger.com by: 19
(PDF) The crime reduction effects of public cctv cameras
Video surveillance or closed circuit television CCTV was originally developed in an attempt to prevent crime in private spaces, such as banks and shopping centres. Most major cities throughout cctv and crime reduction world have now installed an extensive array of CCTV cameras that are linked to control rooms which are equipped with video monitors in order to monitor the designated public spaces with a view to discouraging criminal offending and improving perceptions of safety in these areas.
The technology in this field, both hardware and software, has advanced exponentially in recent years with vehicle license plate recognition and facial recognition capability having become the industry standard. Furthermore, the cutting-edge CCTV systems that are currently been rolled out in countries such as India and the United Kingdom have notably incorporated thermal imaging and aspects of artificial intelligence in an effort to predict certain types of criminal offending such as robbery and sexual assault before they take place.
CCTV is presently being used in some degree in all major cities in South Africa, with some of the biggest cities, particularly Johannesburg and Cape Town, having recently invested considerable resources in expanding and upgrading their existing systems. Other cities are most likely to invest significant sums in upgrading and expanding CCTV systems in the coming years. It is no surprise that CCTV has cctv and crime reduction an attractive crime prevention tool for city authorities given the very limited policing manpower over which they have direct control, and persistently high levels of urban crime.
Furthermore, CCTV systems are visible and tangible indications that local government is attempting to improve public safety. There are however, drawbacks and complexities concerning the public use of CCTV, as well as considerable cost implications. The aim of this article is to examine the available evidence relating to the crime prevention and safety promotion potential of CCTV systems, as well as discuss this in relation to the challenges and constraints that have been currently encountered city authorities in South Africa.
In so doing, this article will highlight both the benefits, drawbacks and unintended consequences of using CCTV as a crime prevention instrument, cctv and crime reduction. The general philosophy underpinning the use of CCTV as a crime prevention tool is that it creates an awareness among members of the public, especially potential offenders, that they are under surveillance and that there is a heightened risk of being apprehended by the authorities if a crime is committed.
This notion, however, assumes that criminals, or potential criminals, are aware of the cameras; and think and act in a relatively rational manner, in that they will be discouraged from committing crimes in the areas covered by the CCTV cameras. These systems may also make members of the public more conscious of the possibility of being victims of crime, cctv and crime reduction, and hence may become more vigilant in this regard.
The installation of CCTV cameras may also improve perceptions of safety in these specific areas, which contributes a greater number of people accessing the area and thereby increasing cctv and crime reduction level of natural surveillance.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that the introduction of CCTV cameras have contributed to reductions in various crimes and by-law violations in surveillance areas, but cctv and crime reduction of the studies have been undertaken in cctv and crime reduction to high-income countries. A systematic review of rigorous studies relating to the crime prevention impact of CCTV in the US and UK concluded that CCTV resulted in a modest reduction in various crimes, especially theft and robberies in focal areas.
A study in Medellin, Colombia indicated that CCTV had resulted in a In Mexico City, researchers attributed a reduction in non-violent crime in specific areas to the installation of CCTV systems [6].
Of critical importance, cctv and crime reduction, research has emphasised that the crime prevention impact of CCTV systems can be significantly enhanced if they are closely coupled with proactive policing [7]. To date, however, no systematic or rigorous research has been undertaken on the crime prevention impact of CCTV cameras in public spaces in South Africa.
This is somewhat surprising given the increasing amount of resources that have been invested in CCTV in South African urban areas over the years.
Nonetheless, descriptive studies and research based on limited opinion survey data on CCTV and crime in South Africa has suggested that where CCTV systems have been effectively implemented they have resulted in reductions in reported crime in the focal areas. This is especially the case when these systems have been linked to dedicated policing responses [8, 9]. Furthermore, law enforcement spokespersons from cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg have publicly claimed that CCTV systems have had crime reduction effects, although these claims have not been subjected to thorough independent assessment.
Studies have shown that CCTV can cctv and crime reduction significant crime reduction effects, but this is highly dependent on a range of factors, the most relevant being:. Cameras should have the capacity to record continuously, both during day-time and night-time, as well as in a multiplex manner capability to link recordings from different cameras from a specific incident. The cameras cctv and crime reduction need to be able record high definition images and have pan, tilt and zoom capability.
More modern cameras have the added advantage of vehicle license plate recognition and facial recognition capability.
CCTV control rooms should have the appropriate number of monitors that display, in real-time, cctv and crime reduction, high resolution footage from the CCTV cameras, cctv and crime reduction. There should also be a sufficient number of operators in the control at any one time. Furthermore, the control room should have communication systems that enable easy communication cctv and crime reduction police and other relevant authorities.
Members the public who that make use of the CCTV focus areas should perceive that the CCTV improves public safety in these areas. Offenders and potential offenders should perceive that that there is a high risk of being apprehended should they commit a crime in the CCTV focus areas.
In order for CCTV systems to be sustainable city authorities should make the necessary provisions in annual budgets for the maintenance, upgrades and expansion of the CCTV system including law cctv and crime reduction and data analysis. City authorities should ensure that good working relations are cctv and crime reduction between all the key stakeholders associated with the crime prevention aspects of the CCTV system.
Prior to the installation of, or major upgrades to CCTV systems, studies have shown that city authorities should undertake comprehensive audits of crime rates and crime patterns with a view to determining the best possible locations for the CCTV cameras, cctv and crime reduction. Furthermore, robust and detailed partnership arrangements with the relevant policing agencies, and possibly even include relevant neighbourhood watch structures, improvement districts and private security companies.
The medium- to long-term effectiveness and sustainability of CCTV systems is also linked to ability of those responsible for the CCTV systems to regularly analyse important data relating to crime incidents and thereafter incorporate these learnings to improve the system and policing responses. A key concern of crime cctv and crime reduction experts and professionals in relation to CCTV systems is that such systems may merely displace crime from the focal areas to other parts of the city.
Studies, however, have shown mixed results, with some researchers indicating that CCTV systems have resulted in some crime displacement [10, 11]; while others have suggested that there has been no significant displacement effect [3, 12].
Nonetheless, across the board, where there has been a reported crime displacement effect, the increase in crime in adjacent areas is usually lower than the reduction in reported crimes in the CCTV focal areas [1]. The installation of CCTV systems may result in offenders wearing clothing and accessories in order to obscure their faces in an effort to cctv and crime reduction identification [13].
However, the more modern CCTV systems have the capability to develop algorithms that can detect and monitor styles of dressing and suspicious behaviour.
The use of CCTV cameras to monitor persons in public spaces has a number of complex implications in terms of privacy rights and legislation.
That is, CCTV surveillance systems may result in violations of individual rights and privacy protections. This is particularly in relation to what data is collected, as well as how the data is collected, used and stored.
Therefore, cities need to develop by-law frameworks which are in line with the Constitution that specify the privacy protections of CCTV for crime prevention systems, and the oversight mechanisms thereof. In particular, these frameworks should specify that visible signage be displayed indicating that CCTV camera are in use. In addition, operators should be employed by city authorities who are then required to adequately respond to questions and concerns that may be raised by members of the public.
CCTV operators and cctv and crime reduction analysts should be professionally trained and beholden to ethical and legal standards and rules; and there should be appropriate sanctions and disciplinary action if such rules and standards are violated. In addition, these frameworks, cctv and crime reduction, rules and standards should be available to the public, as well as information relating to the manner in which the CCTV data is secured and stored.
Due to the increased surveillance of crime and the related policing of focal areas, some police agencies may be unwilling to adequately support CCTV systems. Establishing framework agreements between the various policing agencies that will be directly affected by the CCTV systems may improve collaboration and buy-in. The installation of CCTV systems without an adequate long-term plan and budget provisions could be a considerable governance risk for the entire city government and could result in a significant decline in public confidence.
At the time there was considerable optimism that these systems would result in significant crime reductions and arrests of offenders. A key aspect was that agreements were struck that made practical provisions for the metro police to collaborate with the South African Police Services SAPSparticularly with respect to responding to crime incidents identified on the CCTV systems. Over the years, however, city authorities have taken a more central role in introducing, managing and upgrading CCTV systems geared towards crime prevention.
Nonetheless, these developments have mostly taken place on a unilateral basis, which has resulted in South African cities having different levels of CCTV coverage, capability and capacity. To date there appears to have been very little discussion between city authorities about the use of CCTV, as well as experiences and lessons identified from individual cities.
Cape Town and Johannesburg appear to have invested the most resources with regards to CCTV systems. As of April the City of Cape Town reported that it had access to a total of 1, cctv and crime reduction, cameras, as well as access to privately registered CCTV cameras [14]. There is a dedicated Camera Response Unit that has been created to respond to actual and potential safety, security and emergency incidents [15]. It was reported in that the monitoring of CCTV footage by the Metro Police resulted in the opening of an average of 29 criminal cases [16].
In Hanover Park, which is renowned for gang violence, CCTV has been linked to ShotSpotter, which is a system developed in the US that draws on a series of specialised sensors in order to pinpoint the location of gunshot incidents and then relays this information to law enforcement officials in terms of a mapping interface [17].
However, there is a lack of a solid working partnership between the metro police and SAPS in relation to the monitoring and response to CCTV incidents, cctv and crime reduction. In Johannesburg, the CCTV system initially focused on the cctv and crime reduction centre, where there was a control room based in the Carleton Centre where staff monitored approximately cameras, and entailed a robust partnership between BACSA, metro police and SAPS.
When the system was fully operational it was estimated that it took police an average of 60 seconds to respond to incidents on the ground [18]. As of city authorities had responsibility for some cameras, but the Chief of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, cctv and crime reduction, David Tembe, cctv and crime reduction, reported in August that only of these CCTV cameras were in working order due to vandalism, power failures and damage to fibre cables by construction companies.
Furthermore, Tembe indicated that the CCTV system did not cover key crime hotspots, and was not adequately linked to metro police that were on patrol [19].
However, there is a major upgrade and expansion of the CCTV system being currently underway, cctv and crime reduction, with new cameras being introduced that have both licence plate and facial recognition technology and can rotate degrees [20].
In addition, a private telecommunications company is currently operating 1, cameras in 48 suburbs of Johannesburg, and is planning to install up to 15, CCTV cameras throughout Johannesburg and plans to make their cameras available to accredited private security companies, the metro police and SAPS at a fee [21].
This development, however, had led to civil society organisations raising concerns about the privacy implications of a commercial company collecting and selling CCTV footage for profit without the consent of those being filmed [22]. Other cities, such as Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay have also experienced challenges with regards to their CCTV systems.
The City of Tshwane, which reportedly has responsibility for some CCTV cameras, has cctv and crime reduction had acute problems with damaged and dysfunctional CCTV cameras, mainly due to adverse weather and vandalism [23]. There have also reportedly been challenges with regards to the service provider responsible for managing the CCTV system not adequately maintaining the cameras and monitoring the footage from the cameras [24].
A spokesperson for the City has recently indicated that there are plans for the metro police to expand the CCTV system, cctv and crime reduction, as well as reintroduce a Rapid Response Unit linked to the CCTV system which had previously been disbandedbut raised concerned about the lack of support from SAPS [23].
In Msunduzi, the Cctv and crime reduction has established a partnership with the Safe City Initiative in relation to CCTV cctv and crime reduction of some 69 cameras and reportedly has had a good working relationship with SAPS [26]. In eThekwini, city authorities entered into a contract with a major cellular telecommunications company to expand the CCTV infrastructure throughout the city, but has encountered organised objections from residents groups out of concerns that the communication mast may have negative health implications for residents [27].
Contact Newsletter Login Register Twitter Facebook Youtube. Toggle navigation. Who is it for? Management structure Contact Themes Understand Be Inspired Learn How Connect Organisations Practitioners Member section Blog Events Resources Research projects General Resources Safety services. Home Cctv and crime reduction Closed Circuit Television CCTV and Crime Prevention. Factors influencing impact of CCTV on crime reduction Factors influencing impact of CCTV on crime reduction Camera location Cameras should have comprehensive and unobstructed coverage of the target areas Camera capability Cameras should have the capacity to record continuously, both during day-time and night-time, as well as in a multiplex manner capability to link recordings from different cameras from a specific incident.
Control room capability CCTV control rooms should have the appropriate number of monitors that display, cctv and crime reduction, in real-time, high resolution footage from the CCTV cameras.
Public perception of effectiveness Members the public who that make use of the CCTV focus areas should perceive that the CCTV improves public safety in these areas.
Offender perceptions Offenders and potential offenders should perceive that that there is a high risk of being apprehended should they commit a crime in the CCTV focus areas.
Budget provision In order for CCTV systems to be sustainable city authorities should make the necessary provisions in annual budgets for the maintenance, cctv and crime reduction, upgrades and expansion of the CCTV system including law enforcement and data analysis. Relationship management City authorities should ensure that good working relations are maintained between all the key stakeholders associated with the crime prevention aspects of the CCTV system.
CCTV surveillance in Johannesburg helps reduce crime
, time: 2:38Is There Empirical Evidence That Surveillance Cameras Reduce Crime? | MTAS
Mar 01, · The effectiveness of CCTV and improved street lighting has been studied extensively in terms of their potential for reducing the number of crimes in a certain area. However, this does not take into account the cost of the interventions or the savings due to crime blogger.com by: 19 Feb 11, · Second, CCTV-generated enforcement was related to the reduction of overall crime, violent crime and theft-from-auto. Third, obstructions to CCTV line-of-sight caused by immovable objects were related to increased levels of auto theft and decreased levels of violent crime, Although the rationale for CCTV use is that it “prevents crime”, a number of studies have questioned the assumptions underlying this claim and drawn attention to a complex range of factors that should be taken into account when assessing CCTV’s effectiveness. A report by the Campbell Collaboration claimed that CCTV has a “modest but significant desirable effect on crime” but that its use should be “more File Size: 77KB
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