Apparently, there are more CCTV cameras in the UK today than in any other European country. However, since no thought has gone into how to use the information gathered, they have actually failed to stop, or even cut down, on crime. It’s estimated that CCTV currently solves only about 3% of street crime in London.
So we are all being watched by unseen eyes in various places as we go about our private business, from leaning on the bar in our local pub, to withdrawing money from the bank, to strolling along the local High Street. Even sitting at traffic lights in our own cars. And it’s not helping one iota.
I’m not sure if I approve or disapprove of the plans to collate the images into a national database and post them on the internet. On one hand I approve of naming and shaming those proven guilty, but on the other, I’m uneasy about giving Big Brother more teeth.
Meanwhile, it’s a bit like having a greyhound as a watchdog. They’ll watch as thieves break in, steal the TV and depart. All from the comfort of their cushy beds. They don’t DO anything about it, but they do watch – and actually, being sighthounds, they’re rather good at that.
yeah we are all being watched here and there and more than we know. kinda creepy. i wonder if there are any cameras in my bedroom.
awwh, look at that cute doggy. don’t tell me he watched thieves come in and take your stuff and didn’t so much as call 911.
Naturals last blog post..Out of Time
Actually, no, she is a rare thing for a greyhound, she IS a watchdog! She’ll bark at any strange noises, especially at night. I don’t know what she’d do if we were actually burgled, but actually I suspect she might surprise us!
The Pirate, on the other hand, in true Jack Sparrow fashion, would run away.
file this under things that make you go…hmmmmmmmmm
Personally, I think they haven’t employed the right kind of persons to review all the footage. Personally, I think the next time a judge is sentencing a peeping tom or personal stalker, they should be sentenced to watch this viddy. The result is either a) they catch stuff watching all this footage and the system does what it was intended for or b) they get their fill of watching, then get their overfill to the point of gluttony, thereby curing these poor slobs of their miscreant behavior.
Damn, I’m clever.
Daniel Coxs last blog post..Daniel’s Dish of Pointless Points – May 9, 2008
That’s a great idea, Daniel! That’s exactly what they should do. Reminds me of the Mikado!