Another study pours cold water on CCTV

Daily Mail: "The millions of CCTV cameras on Britain's streets have done virtually nothing to cut crime, Home Office-funded research found today. It said that cameras placed in town centres, housing estates and public transport 'did not have a significant effect on crime'.

The only crime that was heavily reduced by the presence of spy cameras was stealing from cars in car parks, the study said"

Which seems to be a repeat of an earlier conclusion to a Home Office study circulated back in 2005, (difficult to get hold the original source of this article by the way which was an Associated Press report in securityinfowatch.com).

But I think everyone knows this anyway. And we don't need studies to justify the notion that blanket CCTV is an absolutely vile, dehumanizing and stupid practice that's now gone totally out of control.

And why these studies should be a surprise to anyone I have no idea. The point is the cameras are not a failure as they are not about crime to begin with. They are about surveillance of the general population, and to make the idea of being watched and logged seem normal so that can be further escalated, and as well so people modify their own behavior in line with knowing they are being watched.

If anything I believe crime, the threat of violent crime is actually a highly favourable state of a social-centrist government to help keep the middle class in check.

CCTV's role in that sense is to remind people there is a threat of violent crime not to prevent it.