Criminology - Advanced Surveillance
How effective are CCTV cameras as a proven crime control and prevention measure? Describe the crime control literature which attempts to assess their efficacy and evaluate the impact such studies have had on overall proliferation of these systems. Illustrate your answer by reference to both official reports and academic and NGO studies supporting or contradicting such claims.
This essay will aim to critically discuss CCTV cameras as a proven method of crime control and prevention tool. In order to analyse academic, official and Non Government Organisation (NGO) studies, it is important to consider the rise of CCTV. CCTV is the one of the fastest growing forms of surveillance and crime control in the UK. CCTV was gradually diffused throughout the retail and transport sectors to the public domain. In 1991 there were no more than ten cities with open street systems in operation; these systems were set up individuals on the basis of entrepreneurship. (Dutton and Short 1998)
The tragic death of James Bulger brought the importance of CCTV into public spotlight, images of Bulger being led away by two boys were reoccurring on national news each day, in hope the perpetrators would eventually be caught. (Smith 1994) This therefore saw a publicised moral panic. The response was the increase of CCTV systems around the UK. Responding to this, the Home Secretary, Michael Howard, developed the ‘City Challenge Competition’. Two million pounds of government funding would be thrown at this new initiative. Government saw 480 applications, even with the budget increasing to 5 million, but only 106 applications were granted. (Cited in Norris et al 2004) The high demand for CCTV in the public realm saw the competition re-open between 1995 and 1998. This time £31 million of government funding and £54 million of partnership funding, (local businesses and European regeneration grants) was used to develop the scheme. 580 applications were granted. (Cited in Norris et al 2004) This
This essay will aim to critically discuss CCTV cameras as a proven method of crime control and prevention tool. In order to analyse academic, official and Non Government Organisation (NGO) studies, it is important to consider the rise of CCTV. CCTV is the one of the fastest growing forms of surveillance and crime control in the UK. CCTV was gradually diffused throughout the retail and transport sectors to the public domain. In 1991 there were no more than ten cities with open street systems in operation; these systems were set up individuals on the basis of entrepreneurship. (Dutton and Short 1998)
The tragic death of James Bulger brought the importance of CCTV into public spotlight, images of Bulger being led away by two boys were reoccurring on national news each day, in hope the perpetrators would eventually be caught. (Smith 1994) This therefore saw a publicised moral panic. The response was the increase of CCTV systems around the UK. Responding to this, the Home Secretary, Michael Howard, developed the ‘City Challenge Competition’. Two million pounds of government funding would be thrown at this new initiative. Government saw 480 applications, even with the budget increasing to 5 million, but only 106 applications were granted. (Cited in Norris et al 2004) The high demand for CCTV in the public realm saw the competition re-open between 1995 and 1998. This time £31 million of government funding and £54 million of partnership funding, (local businesses and European regeneration grants) was used to develop the scheme. 580 applications were granted. (Cited in Norris et al 2004) This
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