It is true that nowadays the video surveillance has become a common measure in many cities to tackle crime commitments. While some people consider that such approach as invasion in private life, I believe that the benefits do outweigh the drawbacks.
There are two reasons why citizens might find video cameras as a restriction of their freedom. First obvious reason is that people do not prefer being every minute under observation. Knowing that they are being watched by other people exerts a huge pressure on them. For instance, a shop assistant is not allowed to sit during work hours, even there is no customer. That person might be fired simply due to resting for 5 minutes which can be found on camera recordings.
From my point of view, video surveillance enables us to be more relaxed and feel at ease if we are going somewhere. People, especially females, used to avoid being outside at night because of the fear of being robbed or assaulted by an offender. Video cameras have altered that situation so that if someone wants to commit a crime, then that individual’s identity will be easily detected by cameras. Therefore, video surveillance can deter breaking the laws. Recent researches on this topic have shown that the countries where cameras in every street is mandatory witness a mere 5% of crime.
In conclusion, it seems to me that we gain more than we lose from the enhances security that CCTV cameras bring to our cities.