Surveillance Camera Introduction

Surveillance Camera Smile, you are on a surveillance camera. Walking along a major street and looking up, people will probably see cameras glaring back at them. Perhaps people cannot see them, but they are staying there. In these years, society has seen the rapid proliferation of different measures aiming to prevent or reduce crime. Surveillance cameras have become ubiquitous in many cities and countries. These smaller, less noticeable cameras are used not only by the government but also by individuals and other private firms. They are showing up almost everywhere, in shops, banks, schools, companies, hotels and even in private houses. The notion of putting oneself under video surveillance may sound odd. Some people may believe that surveillance cameras invade their privacy and restrict freedom. However, high technology always has the potential for bad along with the good. The number of surveillance cameras is increasing, even though the cameras have many disadvantages, in addition to their advantages. In 2008, Olympic Games were held in Beijing, China. Official newspapers reported that 300,000 surveillance cameras had been posted to supervise fans’ rowdy behavior. Nearly $30 million had gone into video surveillance for the Olympic Games, including cameras with long ranges and no blind spots. "This kind of vast surveillance and security system is like a hanging sword over the whole games," says Sharon Hom, of New York-based Human Rights in China.
The use of surveillance cameras is one of the most effective security measures. “While some of CCTV cameras increased use in the USA has come about in an effort to aid the police in the detection and prevention of terrorist activities, especially in New York City and other metropolises, the prevention of crime remains an important aim of these CCTV systems (Associated press, 2006b; McCarthy, 2007)” (Welsh and Farrington, 2009, p.717-718). The prevention of personal and property crime is among the primary objectives in