If the UK has so much CCTV coverage, why do we have such a high crime rate?

Question

They say we have the highest CCTV coverage in Europe. If so, why does the UK also have one of the highest crime rates? Is it because all the bad guys love the attention?

Answer 1

i think that because we have more cameras we can detect crimes more easily... as most people do not know that they are being watched they commit these crimes, remeber if a crime is seen then it has to be reported...

if there is no camera in a place that a crime has been commited where no one is present then its could be hard to determine if a crime has occured... therefor it is not reported...so there seems to be less crime...

did that make sense?

hope so!

x

Answer 2

There are a number of reasons.

1. The quality of most CCTV footage is average at best utter garbage at worst

2. Generally most cities will have on average 20+ cameras, all watched by one person, things get missed.

3. It is all good and well videoing people committing crime but you still need to identify them, catch them and get them to court.

4. Finally the main reason for the high crime rate has absolutely nothing to do with the CCTV cameras but it has lots to do with the fact that there is no deterrent to crime in the UK. The majority of criminals are released on bail to commit further crime, the sentences they receive are so short and finally prison time is to a lot of criminals a pleasant break and a chance to get together with their friends plus satellite TV, regular meals, pool tables and access to a gym.

Answer 3

I guess that's one way of looking at it.
I guess why we have so much crime,is because the police are to politically correct nowadays.Everything is played on human rights,and it's always the transgressor who wins,not the victim.What does CCTV actually do?Nothing.
I had my purse stolen out of my handbag recently,in a shop where they've got CCTV cameras.I was informed by the shop manager,that only the police were able to view the tape.I went and made my report to the police,and was told i would only hear something if a lot of purse/handbag thefts were made.So what is the point.

Answer 4

A lot of small business quite often make up the local town council and they together with the Chamber of Trade want the CCTV as they get a reduction on their business insurance, Usually they vote in favour of it whether the town/area need it or not.
Quite often the camera's are not maned at weekends so if a real incident occures ie., a mugger they wouldn't see it until Monday when quite often a voluntary person checks the film and the mugger is long gone.

Answer 5

Because CCTV doesn´t stop crime. Education and adaquate punishment does.

Unfortunatly the government spends loads of money on CCTV in order to control, and eventually bring about a police state.

China, Russian and the UK are top of the list when it comes to surveliance. It will get worse if nothing is done about it, microphones, peole getting chipped etc.. welcome to big brother.
And believe me companies will also have access to the information, they´ll bribe for it. Then they know who to employ, how to influence competition, etc.

Answer 6

CCTV is a way keep you safe the crime in the UK just says we are greedy.

Answer 7

i would put it down to no-one actually watches half of the security cameras until something happens, like a burglary or a murder or an attack. otherwise the tapes just get stored and watched for anything suspicious 6 months later...oh well

Answer 8

quality of photograph taken is so poor,e.g. crimewatch, that you could barely recognize your own family, although CSI, whether in las Vegas, Miami or New York seem to be able to enhance their CCTV footage to acceptable definition.

Answer 9

Because most of the cameras give a blurred image that no one can make out.

Answer 10

Few people are employed to go through those tapes, fancy doing this type of work?