Fighting Crime From Above?

The townspeople of Monmouth in the United Kingdom are shouting on the cover of the Monmouthshire Beacon to re-instate their pricey police monitored CCTV cameras. A total of 1,344 citizens have signed a petition saying they want them back.

According to the South Wales Argus the cost to operate six cameras a year is £12,000 and did not mention the initial capital costs. This means the Cost Per Camera (CPC) to maintain and monitor each camera from a 24 hour command center is roughly £2,000 a year.

Trader John Smith of Agincourt Antiques says several windows have been vandalised in Church Street in the last five months and a shop assistant was threatened at Ladbrokes betting shop earlier this year.

Despite the evidence that shows public CCTV is ineffective in the UK, Mr. Smith feels that the cameras act as a deterrent.

"Should we (traders) put in £400 each a year and run it ourselves?" asks Smith.

This researcher says YES. There is no evidence public CCTV is effective in deterring, apprehending, or prosecuting criminals.

Since 24 hour monitoring is ineffective and expensive, the private sector has an opportunity to install their own "higher focused" surveillance equipment which can focus on store fronts and inside the stores. The Monmouth Police Department should also implement my recommendations so the town can make data driven decisions regarding future CCTV questions.

While 1344 people signing the petition seems high, it's a mere 16% of the population.  It appears that the majority of residents also think re-instating the CCTV cameras is a bad idea.