Public 'has too much belief in CCTV'

Published on Friday 4 December 2009 22:09

CCTV has been oversold to the public as a panacea to stop antisocial behaviour and crime in Scotland, and has created "a cycle of unrealistic expectation" as to what it can achieve, a Scottish Government report has warned.

A review of the effectiveness of Scotland's CCTV network said there was a "naive" assumption among the public that the cameras across the country were monitored 24 hours a day and able to take high-quality pictures.

It warned that a lack of investment had led to a "postcode lottery" of deployment across Scotland and a stock of equipment that was ageing, with much of it in need of urgent repair.

The report, commissioned by Scottish ministers, acknowledged there was a high level of support for CCTV among the public, police and politicians, but said there should be an urgent review of the system governing the 2,200 cameras in Scotland.

And it warned: "(CCTV] has been oversold in the past, as a panacea to stop antisocial behaviour and solve crime."

According to the findings, there has been a lack of strategic thinking about the deployment of CCTV, with many cameras operated in isolation from any other solutions.

"This created a high demand and at the same time a cycle of unrealistic expectation as to what CCTV could achieve where installed in isolation from other services, partners and integrated solutions," the report said.

It acknowledged that CCTV cameras could improve the quality of life in local communities when "well managed and integrated into response strategies of the police and other partner agencies".

However, the report said once installed in communities, the cameras might in time become only partially monitored, lacking in routine maintenance and unable to record quality images suitable for use as evidence.

"There is a naive and widely held assumption that all cameras are being watched and are maintained to a standard that allows quality images to be captured," it added.

The report said it was a "form of postcode lottery whether you live in an area with CCTV, whether the CCTV is monitored, whether every incident is systematically recorded and forwarded 'live' or later to the police and/or other partners to investigate and respond".

The authors called for increased community involvement in the installation and monitoring of cameras, with feedback from residents used to shape future policy.

John Lamont, Conservative spokesman for community safety, said it was not possible to fight crime with CCTV alone. "(It] can help in some situations, but there is nothing to beat getting more police back from behind their desks and on to the streets," he said.

However, the Scottish Government insisted CCTV helped to provide reassurance that crime was being detected and criminals caught.

Community safety minister Fergus Ewing said: "We recognise the importance of ensuring that such systems are working as effectively as possible – that is why we carried out this review and why we wanted to get an accurate picture of their provision right across the country."

He was backed by Solicitor-General Frank Mulholland, QC, who said CCTV had proved "invaluable" to fighting crime.

Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Constable Ruiradh Nicolson, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "Police see CCTV as integral to their efforts to prevent and detect crime. We look forward to contributing to efforts to further improve its effectiveness."

CRUCIAL EVIDENCE FROM CAMERAS

WHILE doubts remain over the effectiveness of CCTV, there are cases where its use has proved crucial in court.

In November, racist murderer Christopher Miller was jailed for 18 years after slashing father-to-be Kunal Mohanty's throat in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.

Miller was caught on camera dancing in celebration shortly after the attack, before later being filmed racially abusing staff at an Asian take-away.

In April, a Slovakian national, Marek Harcar, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the rape and murder of Moira Jones, 33, in a Glasgow park.

Harcar was filmed "leading" Mrs Jones into the park.

And in February, a former Russian soldier, Vitas Plytnykas, was convicted of murdering a Lithuanian woman before dumping her body parts in the sea.

CCTV footage from bus and street cameras caught Plytnykas and an accomplice dragging a suitcase stuffed with the woman's dismembered body parts through Angus.