It is often argued that many cities are often introducing CCTV cameras in public places to achieve a lower crime rate. While this development offers several benefits, it also has certain drawbacks. This essay will discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of this trend.
The most significant advantage of installing CCTV cameras in urban areas is that it discourages criminals from committing offences in public spaces. This is primarily because when they decided to participate in illegal activities, the CCTV cameras recorded all their actions. As a result, police officers can improve public security by using CCTV footage to monitor public areas, respond more quickly to suspicious behaviour, and stop criminals. In other words, the presence of security surveillance systems reduces the likelihood of criminal activity because offenders know they are unlikely to escape. For example, Japan has more than 5 million surveillance cameras, including both public and private cameras. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department operates hundreds of street crime prevention cameras in major entertainment districts such as Shibuya or Ueno.
Despite this benefit, the main drawback of establishing a CCTV surveillance network is that citizens are being watched at all times without their consent. This is because an excessive number of CCTV cameras consider violence the fundamental right to privacy. Consequently, many criminals are aware of camera locations, and then they can simply adapt their activity to unmonitored areas, which leads to an increasing number of individuals who are victims of robbery. For instance, thieves may prefer to commit robberies in residential areas with limited security cameras rather than in urban centers where CCTV cameras are widely installed.
In conclusion, although introducing CCTV cameras in urban areas has certain disadvantages, it also provides considerable benefits. Overall, whether this development is positive or negative largely depends on how effectively its challenges are managed.