Category: Technology Author : Steven Hodson Posted: December 26, 2008
Tags : cameras, CCTV, security
England has for the longest time been held up as the beacon of police action through CCTV even though more than one study has proven the benefits to be doubtful. In a move to make England the most watched over society they have spent over £500 million in the last decade but that may all be for naught since they can’t find the money to man the watch stations.
Worcester City is one of the one’s that it can no longer afford the £140,000 a year that is need to pay people to watch for crimes to happen. As a result entire networks of cameras are being put on auto-pilot with the police examining the video after the crime has occurred on the off chance something useful might turn up.
Simon Geraghty, leader of Worcester City Council, said: ‘There has been an agreement between the city council and West Mercia Police that we fund the operatives and we have to give them at least 12 months notice.
‘They (West Mercia Police) have said they do not want to fund this but it is a burden we can no longer support.’
But the move has angered police who say that it will be more difficult to detect and convict criminals without the support of the CCTV operators.
Chief Supt Reynolds, south Worcestershire’s head of policing, said: ‘It’s like having an automatic car without a driver.
- source: Daily Mail
Not to mention the police would actually have to do proper police work. Except the problem there is that because of the investment in Big Bother the police don’t have the same manpower.
Dec 27, 2008
Great, so I just a wait a minute for the camera to turn away and then commit my crime.
Jan 22, 2009
I just read something today (originally shared in FriendFeed by Kol Tregaskes) thar reminded me of Steve Hodson and his love for the UK's CCTV empire.
According to an article in the Telegraph, Elavi Dowie was convicted of twice breaking the law.
The law? A nineteenth century law that prohibits someone from spending more than 20 minutes selling things on Manchester's Market Street. (Dowie was once there for 35 minutes, and once for several hours.)
How was he caught? CCTV cameras.
A Manchester City Council spokesman was quoted: “The council enterprise and protects consumers. Mr Dowie's activities were illegal and we have a duty to protect consumers, particularly during the current economic climate.
“Consumers who buy products from illegal street traders are unlikely to get their money back if they make a complaint.”
May 5, 2010
These scenarios are certainly the reality. The country’s economy has quite a distance to go before it will have any actual recovery. The prosperous would be the preachers of wasting your money. They are simply the people prodding most people to forget about saving and spend. Who definitely are you falling victim to consumerism with if not the rich? Should the economy tumbles down you’ll find those who benefit. Sometimes nonetheless it is not people who really need a financial increase. A person only has to look on the internet to see a completely new harvest of lending internet sites that fit close to any circumstance. You can get loans nowadays to pay bail bond providers so you can get individuals out of jail, (See bailbondlenders.com). This really is just gettingoutrageous. Watch the politicians that are prodding every person to spend their savings to keep the country’s economy going.