Does the Effectiveness of CCTV as a Crime Prevention Strategy Outweigh the Threat to Civil Liberties?
| Date | 01 April 2004 |
| Author | Sam Poyser |
| DOI | 10.1350/pojo.77.2.120.39121 |
| Published date | 01 April 2004 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
SAM POYSER
University of Portsmouth
DOES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
CCTV AS A CRIME PREVENTION
STRATEGY OUTWEIGH THE
THREAT TO CIVIL LIBERTIES?
CCTV can be viewed as part of:
a web of surveillance which far exceeds anything that is
historically known . . . It can invade privacy and make
Orwell’s 1984 a reality. But it can also . . . be liberating
and protective. Therefore, it may be socially beneficial as
well as harmful. (Young, 1999: 192)
CCTV then, has the ability to simultaneously intrude and
protect. Whether it protects at the expense of people’s civil
liberties and, if so, whether this is always beneficial is the
focus of this discussion.
Those concerned about civil liberty issues may argue that
whilst CCTV remains the dominant form of crime prevention
in the UK, it is necessary to strive to achieve a balance of the
rights to privacy and protection (Young, 1999). However, as is
recognised in the Human Rights Act 1998, sometimes these
competing claims are irreconcilable, with one inevitably taking
priority over the other (Young, 1999).
This discussion will first set CCTV in Britain in its
historical context. It will then address its uses and effective-
ness, and examine how these have been evaluated. Concentrat-
ing particularly on the use of CCTV in public and semi-public
places (as civil liberties concerns focus strongly on this area),
the argument that CCTV threatens civil liberties will be
examined. Finally, there is a suggestion that efforts to balance
concern for civil liberties against crime prevention successes
may be undermined in practice by influences beyond the
control of both those involved in the CCTV industry and civil
libertarians.
Video technology emerged in the 1960s, when it was used
sparingly to apprehend and deter shoplifters. In the 1970s and
early 1980s, the political climate slowed its introduction, with
metropolitan councils remaining hostile to CCTV, on ideologi-
cal, practical, and financial grounds. Although the mid-1980s
saw the State begin to spread the responsibility for crime control,
120 The Police Journal, Volume 77 (2004)
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