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There are two distinct camps on the subject of national surveillance - those will believe that cameras violate their privacy, and those who appreciate the extra safeguards which public cameras afford.
Certainly some surveillance systems are well over the top. For instance, there are now camera cars which are trolling the streets to find vehicles which are either parked illegally, or have been there too long. This is mainly a revenue generating exercise, and the councils which operate them receive huge financial benefits from them, at the cost of the harassed motorist. I think you will agree that most people think that these resources could be used for more beneficial purposes.
Imagine for a moment that a small child is lost or even has been taken by a predator. In that situation wouldn't you want the perpetrator to be tracked by public cameras and the child recovered safely?
Another harsh reality is that crime is proliferating more and more in these hard economic times. Fifty years ago most people felt safe to walk out in the evening or allow their children to go to the corner shop without any concern, but the reality is that times have changed and street violence is on the increase. We hear a lot these days of drug and alcohol related violence, and it has been proven that in the areas which allow public cameras to be used, crime has been reduced.
In recent times, violence and crime at train stations and onboard trains and buses has increased dramatically. If the criminal can clearly see that he is being watched he is less likely to commit an offence, and ultimately the evidence collected by the cameras, offenders are more likely to be brought to trial. Today, with cameras in many City centres being constantly monitored, police officers are able to respond quickly when they are alerted to crimes in progress.
You will have seen in the news programs that the instances of shop lifting have grown exponentially, and we all pay for this type of crime in the price of goods. It seems that many people have the mindset that if they don't have it, and you do, they are entitled to take it from you. This type of thinking extends not only to house break-ins, car thefts but physical assault as well.
Everyday we hear of people being mugged at ATM's, or scammers rigging the machines in order to steal money from your bank account. Cameras do indeed help catch these criminals, and put them away.
Terrorists are now a fact of life and worldwide security forces use the camera networks to track and capture them. Surely, this has to be a good thing? There are always going to be concerns from privacy groups about this level of surveillance, but in these modern days, the law needs all the help it can get.
Even if the police can't reach the victim in time to stop a felony being committed the cameras do give them the evidence to find the criminals and take them off the streets.
Here's the bottom line. In spite on the very real intrusion into our daily lives, cameras do help to fight crime, and give us at least a modicum of safety and security. Surely this must far outweigh the feeling of intrusion they may have on us psychologically when we feel that we are being watched.
After all, if you aren't a criminal then you have no need to fear public surveillance.
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