Technology is advancing every day and many organizations are taking advantage of these advancements. One organization, which is using modern technology to the fullest, is the police. There are more ways the police can catch people who break the laws, and these ways allow the police to have more employees. An example would be the traffic enforcement cameras at intersections, which can be used to catch the traffic violators, and sometimes, even more serious crimes. There are positives and negatives to this new method that is used by law enforcement.
One major benefit to law enforcement cameras at intersections is they can be used to deter people from crime. Obviously, people will still do wrong, but if they know there is a camera watching, they will probably avoid committing the crime. The people who decide they like to drive aggressively will likely not be as bold, and they will slow down through these areas under surveillance. If every city had enough money, they could use these cameras everywhere, and crime would likely decrease.
The cost of the cameras at intersections can be staggering. According to this site, security cameras can range from sixty-thousand dollars up and they cost New York City has spent at least nine million dollars on them. It may be that a few crimes outside of traffic violations are caught on camera, but other than that, traffic violations are the majority of offenses caught. Taxpayers are expected to pay the bill for something they did not choose, and then they pay again if the camera catches them. It almost sounds like a double punishment so law enforcement can catch more speeders.
To whom are law enforcement cameras important? What do they mean to a mother who lost her son in a drive-by shooting, when the camera at the intersection caught the other car on tape, which led to their arrest? The surveillance means a lot to someone who has seen firsthand how important the cameras are. There are a significant number of people who have benefited from this piece of technology. Therefore, if a few lives can be saved or justice can be done, then the money being spent is worth it. Technology is going to continue to be modernized and society is going to have to eat the cost for a safer environment.