CCTV: Too many useless cameras, surveillance warns

A very large number of CCTV cameras useless, warned Commissioner camera control by the government.

As Tony Porter BBC Radio 5 said that the public has no real understanding of the nature of the actual control.
He said local authorities with many CCTV cameras needed to inform the community about the exact number and their effectiveness.
He also expressed concern on drones and police with cameras.
The UK has one of the largest in the world closed-circuit television cameras. Estimates of the British Association for the security industry (BSIA) that between 4-5, 900.000 cameras.

'Public debate'

Porter said surveillance cameras Commissioner in England and Wales that organizations and local authorities must conduct annual reviews of their ability to CCTV, but many did not.

He said that when local authorities conducted a review of the West Midlands, and the low number of cameras is an effective and saved £ 250,000 in the process.

"You can still maintain excellent balance of vigilance, but do not have the proliferation of surveillance is useless really," he said.

"Monitoring can be something very good and work well, it is a useful tool for the community.

"But in the words of the former Commissioner for Information," We have not slept in a surveillance society. "

He told the BBC that he considered the cameras as "useless" if it is redundant, having served the purpose for which they were intended, such as public safety, and a deterrent to crime or traffic management.

It can also be useless if they are on the wrong side, damaged or old analog versions with a vision is not enough, and continued to place.

Mr. Porter, a former counter-terrorism, said he was concerned about the use of drones and police using cameras on their uniforms.

"Technology can support the implementation of the law and protect the community."

"What worries me is the precursor to poor control that do not benefit the community."

He called for a public debate and greater regulation to ensure that the cameras "do not multiply unnecessarily."

"We have millions of cameras in this country and Europeans look at us with suspicion that our society really accept the size of the cameras we're doing," he said.

Main Point

While some councils reduced budgets CCTV to save money, there has been an increase in private and local cameras.

At the same time, Dyfed, Powys Police - which covers more than half of Wales - CCTV monitoring has yet to find a review of the cameras do not deter crime stop.

The report concluded that the elimination of CCTV cameras Powys County Council have not resulted in a significant increase in criminal or anti-social behavior, and there was little evidence that the cameras deter violent crimes or alcohol related.

A spokesman for Local Government Association said councils to consult with residents, businesses and the police on whether CCTV is appropriate in the area and are working on their systems, according to the code of practice, supervised by room control commissioner.

"In difficult financial times, the advice is do not spend money on the installation and operation of CCTV cameras unless you really think it will work and have the local support and the many processes and reduce the closed-circuit television," he said.

The deputy police chief Mark Pitts, national police chief CCTV: "should determine the location and number of cameras by the potential risk of harm to the public, rather than the quota approach."

"I do not have any desire we have to drag us towards the surveillance society - this is not for the benefit of anyone but the efficiency of the use of enclosed in the public interest-circuit television, is an essential weapon in our arsenal of evidence that we can help, he said the arrest of criminals, crime, and protect the public and bring justice for the victims. "

Posted by : Unknown 04:12 Tags : useless cameras

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