Do Security Cameras Reduce Crime?
___ Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras are being installing for security purposes in record numbers by cities, businesses, and individuals. London, England and New York have installed thousands of surveillance video cameras. New York City uses more than 4000 video cameras in just Manhattan and other cities across the U.S. are on a similar path. These cameras make many people feel safer, but this technology can make other people concerned, with a perceived loss of privacy. The investment required for a surveillance camera can be significant. Some of these cameras can cost up to $50,000 each, and that is before the cost for human resources to monitor the output is considered. J.P. Freeman, a security market analyst company, projects that the U.S. will annually invest 21 billion dollars in these systems by 2010. The market for CCTV systems in the U.S. increased by almost 700 percent from 1980 to 2000. Do the experiences to date, show that security cameras improve the public’s safety? Becaus
