Multiple Targets: the Reasons to Support Town-centre CCTV Systems
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Multiple Targets: the Reasons to Support Town-centre CCTV Systems David Mackay 1 Little attempt has been made to investigate the reasons for supporting town-centre CCTV systems. Attention has normally focused on crime reduction and potential infringement of civil liberties. This essay concentrates on the public reasons that have been given for supporting it. The reasons behind this support are studied and examples are produced; these have seldom attracted headlines but form the basis for the support given by all partners. The study shows that CCTV was sold as a political response to the law and order debate. Its true purpose is shown to be an amalgam of dealing with public disorder, the fear of crime, improving economic benefits and town centre management issues. All of these relate to self-interest on the part of the supporters. These findings are confirmed after a series of non-structured interviews in the case study. Key Words: Town centre CCTV systems, support, reasons, self-interest
Introduction Most people in the CCTV sector are familiar with the plethora of conflicting claims regarding the effectiveness of town-centre CCTV systems. These claims seem to revolve around a single theme, namely that CCTV either ‘works’ to reduce crime in the locality or that it does not ‘work’. The ‘owners’, i.e. the local authority and the police, usually state that town-centre CCTV systems certainly make the area safer, reduce crime and reduce the fear of crime. This opinion is constantly reinforced, especially by the media, who ignore any inconvenient facts to the contrary, even when they are produced by the Home Office.2 The situation appears to be one of hotly disputed claims and counterclaims, with little evidence that town-centre CCTV systems have lived up to their original claims regarding their potential beneficial effects on crime, fear of crime and increased public confidence. For their part, the general public clearly want the systems to work and they want something to be done about crime and the fear of crime. Therefore, apart from the reservations expressed by academics, town-centre CCTV systems have all the appearances of a self-fulfilling prophecy. These optimistic claims have been accepted without demur by the media and public, thus providing the standard premise that ‘CCTV achieves the results claimed for it’.3 This begs the question that there must be better reasons for supporting CCTV than this impasse. Surely there must be some points of agreement to justify the continuing expenditure? A closer look, however, shows that the supporters of town-centre CCTV systems have regularly made a number of other claims relating to public opinion in favour of CCTV, the economic well-being of the local area and its use in improving the image of the local area.4 Yet, these matters have never received the same coverage as crime statistics or funding.
Copyright
2003 Perpetuity Press Ltd
Page 39
Crime Prevention and Community Safety: An International Journal
The general view of town-centre CCTV systems is the ‘police paramount’
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