Armitage, R. (2002) To CCTV or not to CCTV? A review of current research into the effectiveness of CCTV systems in reducing crime. Nacro. Available here.

 

Abstract: The extent of CCTV coverage and the government’s funding of new systems has increased dramatically over the last decade. There is very little substantive research evidence, however, to suggest that CCTV works. This briefing has been written to inform community safety practitioners about recent research into the effectiveness of CCTV, which suggests that it is not always as successful at reducing crime as it is claimed to be.

 

Chace. R. Redefining the Public Safety v. Priacy Debate.  Statement form the Security Industry Association regarding the Use of CCTV and Biometric Technology in Public Safety Applications. Security Industry Association. US. SIA press release. Available here.

 

Ditton, J. and Short, E. (1999) Yes, it works - no, it doesn't: comparing the effects of open-street CCTV in two adjacent town centres. In Crime Prevention Studies , Vol. 10, pp. 201-223, or at The Scottish Centre for Criminology.
http://www.scotcrim.u-net.com/researchc.htm

 

Fay S. J.  Tough on Crime, Tough on Civil Liberties: Some Negative Aspects of Britain's Wholesale Adoption of CCTV Surveillance During the 1990s. In  International Review of Law, Computers & Technology. July 1998, Vol. 12, no. 2,  pp. 315-347(33).

 

Goold, Benjamin J. (2004). CCTV and policing: public area surveillance and police practices in Britain. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.

 

Graham S. CCTV: The Stealthy Emergence of a Fifth Utility? In Planning Theory and Practice. August 2002, Vol. 3, no. 2,   pp. 237-241(5)

 

Honess, T. and Charman, E. (1992). Closed circuit television in public places: its acceptability and perceived effectiveness  (Crime Prevention Unit Series; Paper 35) London: Home Office, Police Department, Police Research Group. Available here.

 

International Association of Chiefs of Police (2001). The Use of CCTV/Video Cameras in Law Enforcement. IACP.  Available here.

 

Leman-Langlois, S . The Myopic Panopticon: The Social Consequences of Policing Through the Lens. In Policing and Society.  2002, Vol. 13, no. 1,   pp. 43-58(16)

 

Newburn, T., Hayman, S. (2002). Policing, surveillance and social control: CCTV and police monitoring of suspects. Cullompton, Devon, UK ; Portland, Or.: Willan Pub.

 

Norris, C., Armstrong, G. (1999). The maximum surveillance society: the rise of CCTV .

Oxford; New York: Berg.

 

Norris, C. (2002). From personal to digital: CCTV, the panopticon and the technological mediation of suspicion and social control’, in D. Lyon (Ed.) Surveillance and Social Sorting: Privacy Risk and Automated Discrimination, London: Routledge.

 

NOTE: Mr. Norris was  involved in a comparative study of the operation of CCTV in seven European capitals (Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, London, Madrid, Oslo and Vienna - based on quantitative and ethnographic observation, documentary analysis, survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews funded by European Union, Fifth Framework 2000 –2003.  He is currently working on a comparative study of the social impact of CCTV in seven European countries, details of which can be found at:  http://www.urbaneye.net.

 

Tilley, N. (1993) Understanding car parks, crime and CCTV: evaluation lessons from safer cities (Crime Prevention Unit Series; Paper 42) . Police Research Group. London: Home Office Police Department. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/

 

Welsh, B.C. and Farrington, D.P. (2002). Crime prevention effects of closed circuit television: a systematic review (Home Office Research Study; No. 252). Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.  Available at:

 

Welsh B.C. and Farrington D.P.  Effects of Closed-Circuit Television on Crime.  In The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.  May 2003, Vol. 587, no. 1,  pp. 110-135(26)

 

Summary: This article reports on the findings of a systematic review—incorporating meta-analytic techniques—of the available research evidence on the effects of closed-circuit television (CCTV) on crime in public space. A number of targeted and comprehensive searches of the published and unpublished literature and contacts with leading researchers produced twenty-two CCTV evaluations that met our criteria for inclusion in this review. CCTV had a significant desirable effect on crime, although the overall reduction in crime was a rather small 4 percent. All nine studies showing evidence of a desirable effect of CCTV on crime were carried out in the United Kingdom. Conversely, the other nine studies showing no evidence of any desirable effect of CCTV on crime included all five North American studies. CCTV was most effective in reducing crime in car parks. It had no effect on violent crimes but had a significant desirable effect on vehicle crimes.

 

Williams, K.S. and  Johnstone, C. The politics of the selective gaze: Closed Circuit Television and the policing of public space.  In Crime, Law and Social Change.    September 2000, Vol. 34, no. 2,   pp. 183-210(28)

 

Wilson, D. and  Sutton, A. Watched Over or Over-watched? Open Street CCTV in Australia. In Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology. August 2004, Vol. 37, no. 2,   pp. 211-230(20)

 

Summary: Based on site inspections, extensive reviews of documentation and interviews with 22 Australian administrators, this article discusses issues relating to CCTV implementation, management and accountability. The authors argue that rigorous independent assessment of both the intended and unintended consequences of open street CCTV is essential to ensure the responsible use of this technology.

 

Wilson, D, and  Sutton, A. (2003). Open-street CCTV in Australia : a comparative study of establishment and operation. A Report to the Australian Research Council.

 

Abstract:  This report is on a project partially funded by the Criminology Research Council. The original title of the research project, in the name of Adam Sutton and Dean Wilson, was 'Public CCTV in Australia: a comparative study of establishment and operation'. The study provides an overview of the current operation of closed circuit television (CCTV) in Australian public spaces, based on interviews with 34 participants involved in the daily operation and management of open street CCTV. After reviewing research and theory concerned with open street CCTV and international developments in its use, the study describes the operation of open street CCTV in 33 local government locations in Australia. The study also discusses considerations surrounding the decision to install CCTV, including case studies of its use in crime prevention strategies; examines the issues of CCTV management, funding, accountability and publicity; and discusses CCTV operations and monitoring in practice, including its impact on policing, crime displacement and offender awareness, and anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness.  A copy of the report is available here.