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If technology can
be considered an enabler and used to solve everyday challenges and
problems in our society, then perhaps using CCTV to combat crime either
as a deterrent or to actually investigate and solve crimes on our
streets, housing developments, housing estates and town centres etc is
quite a valid preposition.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV)

Closed-circuit
television (CCTV) which essentially refers to the use of video cameras
to transmit data (images) to a bank of monitors in a control room. All
such data can also be recorded over time and can stand up as evidence
in a court of law when prosecuting any kind of crime.

Statistics exist
certainly in more developed countries to confirm that the presence of
CCTV alone serves as a deterrent to and in solving crime.

In developing
countries such as Nigeria where armed robbery, kidnapping, carjacking,
motoring offenses etc is becoming prevalent, there is, in my view a
need to implement an efficient CCTV architecture across the country as
a whole, as mentioned earlier it will not only serve as a deterrent but
will assist in investigating and gathering evidence to recover stolen
items and prosecute such offenses to the full extent of the Law.

Successful usage of CCTV architecture

CCTV architecture has successfully been used to great effect in the following manner in other countries;

>> Used to monitor airports, roads, shopping centre, government buildings and establishments in real time.

>> Investigation even after a crime has been committed as you are relying on recorded video data.

>> Regular traffic updates and monitoring of accidents and hotspots etc

>> Number
plate recognition which when integrated with the Car Registration or
license plate database can assist in instantly identifying any
offenders.

>> Directed surveillance of suspected offenders.

>> Video data
images of any individuals on a police watch list can be processed
through an automatic face recognition system to confirm their identity.

>> Emergencies and other special events

>> Talking CCTV allows the operator talk directly to individuals committing anti social behaviour etc.

Managing CCTV

It is probably best
to implement, run and manage CCTV infrastructure independently
(preferably by private sector organisations for obvious reasons) and
put in place procedures to allow the various organisations that may
need to or are allowed to access such data in a very controlled manner
to ensure that the confidentiality and integrity of all such data is
maintained.

According to a BBC
news report, as of 2002 there were 25 Million cameras worldwide, 2.5
million in the U.K. alone and the average UK citizen is caught on
camera 300 times a day, your guess is as good as mine on the exact
numbers today.

There are arguments
against the proliferation of CCTV cameras (as postulated by civil
liberties organsations across the world) primarily on the basis, that
CCTV can be used by the government to perpetuate itself as a ‘Big
Brother’, monitoring and encroaching on people’s privacy which is quite
a valid argument when it is used in a negative way. But what about the
list of items mentioned earlier on, that CCTV can be used to combat?

Like everything
else, where CCTV architecture is implemented and used correctly, the
benefits of having such an infrastructure implemented across all major
towns certainly outweighs the disadvantages.

Implementing a
suitable CCTV infrastructure is certainly a worthwhile investment,
either by the public or private sector and will overall assist in
reducing crime, concentrating on categories of crime that are either
highest volume or that are of greatest concern to the public, reduce
levels of anti-social behaviour that blights the quality of life in our
society and ultimately reduce the fear of crime and disorder.