Читать книгу THE LIFEBOAT STRATEGY - Mark Nestmann - Страница 30

One of the fastest growing surveillance technologies is closed circuit television (CCTV). In city centers and other locations thought to be security risks or attract crime, CCTV is increasingly popular.

The United Kingdom has perhaps more CCTV cameras than any other country. At the end of 2006, there were an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain, one for every 14 people.74 The actual number is much higher, as there is no way to count the number of individuals and companies that have installed CCTV for security purposes.

In a few U.K. cities, hidden CCTV cameras actually appear to scold you if you litter, are drunk, urinate in public, or engage in other “anti-social behaviors.” The unexpected broadcast comes via a loudspeaker controlled by a CCTV control center staff – and delivered in the voice of a child.75

More surveillance creep: Software is being developed to spot when someone’s on-camera behavior hints they may be about to commit a crime. Microphones are being built in to CCTV units to record conversations. Software automatically scans CCTV footage for suspicious behavior and matches it with mug shots. Police have proposed equipping CCTV units with “x-ray vision” that see through clothing in a bid to thwart terrorism.76

Hundreds of thousands of security cameras are now connected to the Internet. Many are accessible through search engine queries.77 Indeed, in the U.K.’s “Internet Eyes” initiative, you can register to view networks of CCTV cameras over the Internet. If you identify a crime, you’re eligible for a reward.78

There’s near-zero evidence that CCTV lowers crime rates (although review of CCTV archives may help solve some crimes). One U.K. study found that street crime and violence is no lower in areas equipped with CCTV than in areas without it.79 Another review of 44 research studies revealed that CCTV has little impact on U.K. crime rates, other than reducing it in parking lots.80