The Crime Prevention Website

According to the on-line Mirror today it looks like Dyfed Powys Police are set to stop live monitoring of the publically funded CCTV cameras.  Instead (it is assumed) recordings will be examined subsequently to an incident.  The decision follows an independent investigation which found that CCTV cameras have had “little success in deterring violent crime or anti-social behaviour”.

TCPW Comment: This announcement does not come as surprise and follows on from a report by the College of Policing in 2013, which showed us how limited the use of CCTV in public areas really was.

The results of the review were:

Car Parks: Marked and statistically significant reduction in vehicle related crime, BUT in the six studies the CCTV was accompanied by improvements in lighting and increased security staff

Town centres: Small reduction in crime, but not statistically significant enough to draw conclusions about the effects of CCTV

Public Transport: The combined results of 4 studies showed a significant decrease in crime, BUT this was driven almost entirely by the system introduced onto the London Underground.  ‘Overall the findings are ambiguous and not statistically significant’.

Public Housing Estates:  Small reduction in crime, but not statistically significant.

Another interesting finding is that whilst CCTV seemed to reduce car crime it does not reduce violence.  But then violence often involves people who are drunk and irrational and wouldn’t think about their actions being captured on cameras.

Read the rest of the article on the Mirror’s website here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/april-jones-budget-cuts-stop-4850287

CCTV in the Public Arena: http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/cctv-for-home-and-business/753/cctv-in-the-public-arena/

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