Markus Lahtinen & Benjamin Weaver
Lusax, Lunds Universitetwww.lusax.ehl.lu.se
22 September 2015 Security User Expo -Tryghedskameraets dag 1
The effects of video surveillance – what does the research say?
SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Why is research important?
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”CCTV should be a last measure”
”Research doesnot support the
notion that CCTV reduces crime”
Kristina Svahn StarrsjöHead of Data Inspection Authority
SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
The principle of proportionality
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Individual’sright to privacy• Social exclusion• Surveillance
creep• Fortress society
Potential value of camera surveillance:• Prevention• Detection• Investigation
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Country Citycenters
Councilhousing
Publictransport
Parkinglots
Other Total
UK 17 7 3 6 3 37US, CA 3 2 1 6SE, NO 2 2Total 22 9 4 6 3 44
Welsh & Farrington 2007• Systematic review of the effects of public
space CCTV commissioned by Swedish Crime Prevention Council (BRÅ)
• 44 scientific studies fit criteria20 from1978-1999, 24 from 2000-2005
SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Overall: 16% crime reduction
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Source: Welsh & Farrington, 2009
SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
What does the research say?Research question:The preventive effect of video surveillance on crime rate
• None or marginal effect in citycentre / public space– spontaneous crime
• Significant effect on car parks –planned crime
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SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Gaps in the research• UK– a unique case
• Criminological (quasi-experimental) method– Narrow focus on crime rates– Narrow focus on a few specific contexts
• Technology shift: analog – digital– Improved image quality– Increased ease of retrieval and distribution
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UK – a unique context• 4-5 million surveillance cameras (?)
• 20% of world’s CCTV cameras
• One camera per 14 inhabitants: A person is captured 300 times/day
• Government and local authorities have spent £1,2 billion on CCTV from 1994 – 2011
• Strong public support in favour of video surveillance
SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Example: Shetland Islands
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• One of the smallestcouncils in UK
• 23000 residents
• 100 public space CCTV camera
• More public space CCTV-cameras than San Francisco and Sydney (2009)
Source: BBC (2009)
SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
UK is an extreme outlier• State sponsored,
unregulated CCTVon a massive scale
• Large and costlycity centre CCTVsystems
• Crime prevention has been an explicitly stated political goal – hence important to measure the effect of CCTV
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”Big Brother” surveillanceis a special case, even in UK
• 50,000 out of 4-6 million cameras in UK (1%)
• Germany, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Hungary: 1000 public CCTV cameras (Urbaneye, 2004)
• The vast majority of cameras that cover public space have been funded and installed by private companies or organisations
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Public space CCTV a rarity in Sweden
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City Place No. cams Year In use
Malmö Möllevångstorget 3 2001 No(?)
Helsingborg Stadsparken 5 2001 No
Landskrona Centrum 16 2007 No
Malmö Stortorget-Södergatan 5 2012 No
Malmö Seved / Rasmusgatan 4 2012 Yes
StockholmMedborgarplatsenStureplan
97
2012 Yes
Malmö Rosengård 2 2015 Yes
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Narrow focus on crime prevention
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Crime rates are easy to measure but does not provide the whole picture:
• Many confounding factors: street lighting, crime trends, police force organisation…
• No qualitative information: Change in types of crime, degree of seriousness…
• Limited attention to other outcomes, e.g. injury– Several studies show that monitored CCTV significantly limits
the effects of assault injuries, due to early detection and intervention.
SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Little or no research on other potential benefits of CCTV• Crime investigation and conviction
– Important for a high level of public confidence in the criminal justice system
– Significant cost/time savings
• Detection and early intervention• Perceived safety by public• Documentation & educationAll hard to measure quantitatively…
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Milton Keynes study 2006
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• Explorative case study
• City centre CCTV-system with 36 cameras inMilton Keynes, UK
• Approximately £2 million in annual savings for police and criminal justice system– Early detection of crime
– Early admittance of guilt and other investigative resource saving effects throughout the entire criminal justice system
Source: Owen, Keats & Gill (2006)
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Other public space contextsFocus on city centres and parking lots leaves large gaps in the research:
• Schools: Anecdotal evidence points to positive results on firesetting, vandalism
• Shops, companies: Use camera surveillance for many purposes and see many benefits
• Public transport
• Arenas etc…
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”Third forensic science”
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• Shift to digital systems and systematic use ofvideo for identification
• Approx. 4000 of 5000 London riots 2011 arrests directly related to CCTV-generated evidence
Source: Mick Neville, Central Forensic Image Team, Metropolitan Police, London
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Conclusions
• Research on CCTV effects important for legislation and regulation
• Existing research shows a marginal positive preventive effect
• The research has so far been too narrow in its focus, leaving large knowledge gaps
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