Did you know that there are 4.2 million CCTV cameras in Britain and that in London, there is one camera for every 8 members of the population?
Yet despite all this Big Brother surveillance, it appears that the CCTV is not being used effectively by the police in the prevention and detection of crime. Possibly understandable. How often have we seen CCTV footage of criminals caught red-handed breaking into a house or shop only for them to be not charged or let off due to lack of evidence?
Probably more likely to be (mis)used by jobsworths on local councils to trap some mobility impaired granny putting rubbish in the wrong bin or hanging a ‘welcome’ sign in contravention of health and safety rules.
Some police forces, however, do utilise CCTV effectively, although they do seem to be in the minority according to a BBC investigation.
Now, a private company has come up with an idea for monitoring CCTV footage, offering cash rewards for spotting criminals or crimes…..BBC article…