They are everywhere, but what good do surveillance cameras do?

[originalpckelly]

I know I sound weird, but I think we need to rethink these things. If a criminal is crazy enough to go in with a gun and rob someone, do you really think they will care about the camera? No. Why don't owners of convenience stores go out and buy guns and save a few hundred bucks on the surveillance camera?

In Denver, RTD (Regional Transportation District) has surveillance cameras on buses. They also have this thing called transit watch, here is a sample of the freakish posters they put up:




From their web page:
"As a resource, transit employees provide a wealth of specialized knowledge and on-the-job experience. Likewise, transit passengers contribute to the security equation by providing thousands of extra eyes and ears."

Excuse me, but if someone is going to hijack a bus, if they thought about it beforehand, couldn't they use a disguise?
We know from 7/7 that surveillance cameras didn't stop the bus bombers.
What are these cameras here for anyway?

I have a feeling that these cameras don't actually protect people, but give the idea of safety. The problem is that we are all being treated like criminals; if I haven't done anything wrong, why should I be under surveillance?

To most people when you talk about this idea, they simply take for granted that the cameras are there. I was talking to my girlfriend (a liberal Democrat) and she simply could not understand why in principle this is so bad. Yes, it is a public place, but there potentials for abuse.

If the camera footage is routinely checked, then it could be used to embarrass someone. Say for instance some chick gets up from her seat, steps on the edge of her dress and flashes the whole bus...a humiliating thing. However, with the internet and youtube, it could be embarrassing in a sense of the entire nation knowing of the "boob flasher". A less than scrupulous security worker could record the footage playing back and place it on the internet. (Of course on the other hand if the cameras aren't regularly checked, it is a further degradation of any real security value.)

Something akin to this happened with the "jedi boy," an overweight Canadian young man, who was caught playing around and pretending to be a jedi knight. Needless to say, this footage was placed on the internet by some cruel classmates, and his embarrassment became global.

Obviously, not a security camera, but it demonstrates the type of damage such a widespread video could cause, and the fact that it is possible for embarrassing videos to become famous.

This is only one possible situation, but there could be many others. The simplest way to prevent this is to not give the possibility of action.

[originalpckelly]

1. I was thinking about this yesterday, it is the reason I brought up...

the fourth amendment, for those out there keeping score.

[msongs]

2. generate a lot of income for campaign contributors and politicians?

as in "open bidding" contracts hahaha that benefit the mayor/council and their cronies?

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[originalpckelly]

3. DING DING DING DING DING! Give this person a prize!

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Had a car stolen from a motel parking lot

They had a surveillance camera behind the front desk and the cops asked to see the tape. The motel manager looked down at his feet and said "Um, we don't have a tape in it"

Ever since, I have not really trusted surveillance cameras.

[chill_wind]

5. Just had a really good thead on this the other day.

If anyone is interested. Especially see the links and citations
I offered up from a site called The New York Surveillance Cam Players.

They are an inexhaustive source of factual information on this issue.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=1685478

[benEzra]

6. They allow politicians/police/employers to say they are "doing something"

about crime and security, without having to actually do anything that takes effort.