Privacy and CCTV

Many people feel like they lost their privacy because they are constantly monitored by camera. Also, CCTV place negative impact of surveillance on civil liberties. Other claim the Close Circuit TV does not decrease crime. Instead, criminal just change the location. CCTV actually speared around the city because criminal tried to avoid surveillance camera that are most likely installed in bad neighborhood.

Home used of CCTV also raise the concern of privacy. Many claim that CCTV can be used to prevent break-in. However, some household use it with bad faith to monitor their neighbor. A household Close Circuit TV are more likely to monitor person who has been shown to have engaged in conduct which caused or was likely to cause alarm, harassment or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself .

Also, some used CCTV to take a peek of other without permission. They set up camera monitor other’s bathroom or living room. In some extreme case, criminal install camera in public bathroom and sell the video to others.
Previously a CCTV operator in Glamorgan was convicted on obscenity charges after making obscene phone calls to people he had been spying on. Other specific examples include a video Caught in the Act, released in 1996 which featured various couples having sex, captured on CCTV, and broadcast of footage of a man, Geoff Peck, attempting to commit suicide.
The Data Protection Act 1998 in the United Kingdom led to legal restrictions being imposed on the use that CCTV footage can be put to, and also mandated their registration with the Data Protection Agency. The successor to the DPA, the Information Commissioner in 2004 clarified that this required registration of all CCTV systems with the Commissioner, and prompt deletion of archived footage. However subsequent case law (Durant vs. FSA) has limited the scope of the legal protection provided by this law, and not all CCTV systems are currently regulated.
Currently there is no such Act in United state and Canada. Many lawyer in United State CCTV video can not used as evident because it violate the Fourth Amendment -The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. However, the courts have generally not taken this view.
In Canada, it is legal to install surveillance camera inside their company, even in changing room. In some fitness centre, have numerous video cameras in the men's changing room that record men changing and showering.

CCTV will be installed in New York's subway

According to New York's Channel 1. Even though closed circuit surveillance cameras are installed inside the subway station, MTA is planning to install surveillance in every subway cart to help prevent crime.

One of the reasons MTA wanted to install CCTV in subway is to fight graffiti. If a MTA staff spots someone using spray canned to create graffiti, he can stop him via the subway’s broadcasting system. The spray paint used for graffiti contain chemical that will harm the body of the subway cart.

MTA also suggested applied a thin layer of Mylar on the windows of older subway cart. This project will take three years and 25 million dollar. However, MTA stress that this is only the initial plan and is not yet confirm.

“The technique sound helpful to fight crime, however, it is an unknown if it will work out for us. We need to do different test and observe other country that have CCTV inside of their subway system. We will make the decision base on these factor. The number of subway cart that will installed CCTV is depend on the MTA’s budget.

MTA also said they will not have staff constantly monitor the video. However, if crime happened, a video tape can help investigation and prosecution

Closed-circuit television (CCTV), is a set of surveillance cameras that are used to create video surveillance. Most of these cameras are use by private for security reason. However, more and more public area installed Closed – circuit television to help law enforcer to fight crime.



Even though there is not strong evident, people think criminal will not break the law if a surveillance cameras present. Government claims that when properly used they do result in deterrence, rather than displacement. In place like car park or bank, even it might not stop crime happened, a video shot by CCTV can help police investigate
,detection and prosecution. Several notable murder cases have been solved with the use of CCTV evidence, notably the Jamie Bulger case, and catching David Copeland, the Soho nail bomber. The use of CCTV to track the movements of missing children is now routine.



Most of the time CCTV is installed in place that can cover the most area. Hence they are visible. Some criminal choose to attack the surveillance where some other would not care much. In many major city like New York and Chicago CCTV are installed in public area. Despite the concern of privacy, resident welcome the video system because crime rate decrease in those area. A sample of the surveillance video in New York City can be view here
http://www.irational.org/cgi-bin/cctv/cctv.cgi?action=console_frame&location=0