Although I have not thoroughly researched this topic I was so fascinated that I had to get out my random thoughts while they were still in my head. At my age is doesn’t take long to lose my train of thought.
In a time when modern technology has made it simple and easy for anyone to record just about anything, why should we be surprised that surveillance cameras would wind up on city streets? I am quite frankly surprised they have not already become a permanent fixture in every town. Given that city streets are public I don’t see it as an invasion of privacy in any way.
Naturally there is some concern, even expectations, that it’s uses may be abused. That happens in every aspect of life. Not that I condone an individual using the recordings for self serving purposes, but the benefits out weigh the negatives.
Having cameras on street corners may not make areas crime free, however, it would seem that it would certainly help to reduce costs to the legal system. It would help solve crimes and maybe even help to find the missing.
Imagine if the mall where an eighteen year old girl was recently abducted had not had surveillance cameras in the parking lot? Of course it did not save her life but it did help in identifying her killer. Now her family can move forward with the healing and grieving process. Now they have answers to some of their questions as does law enforcement. Without those cameras they may never have found her killer. Several times I have seen on the news where these cameras have helped to identify criminals that may have otherwise eluded police possibly forever.
Another example is hit and run accidents or staged accidents. Wouldn’t it be great if insurance companies could use these recordings to solve those cases? It would be fantastic if living in a town with a surveillance system would reduce your rates. In the state where I live there have been a few cases of hit and run where pedestrians have been stuck and killed by unidentified drivers. They were left by the side of the road in much the same way as you see a dead animal on the highway. In most cases the families have no closure. Can you imagine sitting at home waiting for a beloved family member to return home, pacing the floor with worry and fear all the while your loved one is lying dead or dying in the night on the side of the road? if somebody is monitoring the system they could send help possibly before it’s too late.
I don’t know exactly how the whole surveillance set up would work but I would hope that somebody is monitoring the system regularly. It has great potential to change our lives in a positive way. In my opinion, it should be mandatory in every town. Maybe it would reduce some crimes or deter certain types of criminals. Any reduction in crime is a plus. With all of the advances in technology today it would be a great tool for law enforcement if they could monitor a grid of town from their police cars. Many retail establishments have security systems that allow supervisors to watch in real time from any computer anywhere. Most patrol cars now are equipped with laptops. If they could use the same technology this would allow police to operate more effectively and efficiently. There are just so many positive uses for security cameras on streets. City leaders should at least do their research and consider implementing the use of a surveillance system such as this. Criminals use technology to their advantage. Why shouldn’t law enforcement have an advantage over criminals?