Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is either a covert or overt video system intended to record pictures for a limited number of viewers. Initial users of CCTV systems were casinos and banks. Police departments started placing CCTV in strategic areas in an effort to catch traffic violators and criminals. These days, CCTV has become inexpensive enough to be used with private home security systems.

CCTV is surveillance system used by many department stores, convenience stores, and public and private buildings to track suspicious movement in a designated area. CCTV in prisons has made it possible to keep a watch on all areas without an increase in staffing. Many municipalities monitor the flow of traffic through by placing CCTV along busy roads and highways. Europe, especially England, has covered highly trafficked areas with CCTV as a fight against terrorism.

Great Britain has more CCTV systems than any other country in the world. What started out as a security system for banks in the 1970s evolved into larger trial programs in the 1980s. These programs proved successful and resulted in CCTV systems being installed in most towns and cities, stations and, parking areas during the 90s. Although the exact number is difficult to calculate, it is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 surveillance cameras in London’s private buildings. The total number of cameras in Great Britain is close to 5 million.

Despite the proliferation of CCTV throughout Great Britain, a 2008 report found that CCTV helped solve only 3 percent of the nation’s crimes. The lack of police training on how to use the images and how to present them in court has resulted in a less than stellar success story. Another problem is that police officers simply aren’t willing to sit through hours of boring images.

The primary use of CCTV has been in the area of crime prevention. However, the technology has been utilized for other purposes, all well. Sports and concerts events have made viewing easier by displaying the event simultaneously live on large screens. Companies using substances that are potentially toxic to humans can observe an experiment from a different area on CCTV. In an interesting case, a zoo, trying to film the birth of a baby gorilla, used an infrared illuminator with an infrared sensitive camera. This method recorded the first gorilla birth in captivity.

The use of CCTV has come in conflict with proponents of the right to privacy. Some contend that the new technology is in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s ban against unreasonable searches and seizures. Many people believe that placing CCTV in housing projects constitutes a means of “social control.” Whether CCTV deters crime or merely relocates the criminals is a current hot topic among policy makers.

Supporters of CCTV deny that the technology constitutes an invasion of privacy since the cameras are surveilling public areas only. Following 9/11 and after the speedy identification and arrests of the terrorists involved in the 2005 London subway bombings, many people seem willing to forego privacy for safety.

Tags: Home Security