Londons 200 mil pound CCTV network worthless at stopping crime...

[gordonmull]

Some years ago now I spent some time living in a particularly rough area in Glasgow and had a knife put to my throat in the middle of the afternoon for cash. My mate legged it and called the cops. They caught the guy because there were cameras up and he was known to them.

Still didn't stop me crapping my pants. Point is, cameras don't prevent crimes, they only help catch people after they've committed them.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by gordonmull

Some years ago now I spent some time living in a particularly rough area in Glasgow and had a knife put to my throat in the middle of the afternoon for cash. My mate legged it and called the cops. They caught the guy because there were cameras up and he was known to them.

Still didn't stop me crapping my pants. Point is, cameras don't prevent crimes, they only help catch people after they've committed them.

Thats the problem though - they are saying that they don't statistically. Since this guy is known to the cops, they would have caught him anyway.

Sorry to hear you had to deal with that.

-S

[gordonmull]

Freaked me out at the time but that was many moons ago now. They'd never have got him if the camera hadn't been there. i wouldn't have been able to describe him - I've got a bad memory at the best of times!

Point i was trying to make was that even if they did help catch people what good is that? The crime's already been committed. Just feel it's all getting out of hand, cameras everywhere. Some even talk to you now!!!

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by gordonmull

...Some even talk to you now!!!

Scary!

[STEED]

Coming to your home CCTV in every room that will stamp out rape and child abuse
along with domestic crime.

[Letum]

Originally Posted by STEED

Out of control kids (not all of them I stress) don't care about being seen on CCTV in fact they love it as they break in to cars smash things up and why because the law is soft thats why. I have seen plenty of programs showing CCTV footage and they don't give a toss at all. CCTV will never stop crime nor will it prevent crime, we need more police on our streets and no more red tape and mountains of paper work to bog them down.

I'm not sure about police on the streets.
That does not tend to be a big deterrent and is not very cost effective.
I would rather see more police available for call-out then on street corners. Especially
because I live in the countryside. Sometimes we just can't get police cars out here
because they are all walking around the city tipping their caps.

Apart from police available for call-out, I suspect the solution lies in the problem and
not in the symptoms. Things like ensuring that young people can get steady jobs,
affordable housing and ways to fill their time through culture, sport and common
goals. Of course all this only helps with "casual" crime and not the deeply pre-
meditated.


*edit* The post I quoted seams to have been edited, do you want me to edit out the quote as well?

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Letum

*edit* The post I quoted seams to have been edited, do you want me to edit out the quote as well?

Half sleep Letum, deleted by accident.

How do you like my cynical remark? Trouble is this may one day be fact, better not be in my life time.