CCTV cameras are rife in all built-up areas these days. And they do the job they’re designed for, stopping crime and helping in the aftermath of crime. But why wait until a crime has been committed? Why not try and preempt wrongdoing before it even takes place?

I have very mixed views on CCTV and surveillance cameras. I don’t doubt for a moment that they reduce crime and help catch criminals after the event, which for me seeking to enjoy a night out without any trouble is great. But it means giving up a certain amount of civil liberties, with people watching your every movement at all times of the day and night.

The UK is a already under the watchful eye of 4.2 million CCTV cameras, and it’s been shown that you can be tracked and recorded traveling from one side of London to the other without even knowing it. But the technology is just about to get a lot smarter, and it could innocent people get arrested along with criminals.

Smart CCTV is now making an appearance. Having already been trialled in several U.S. cities, including New York, the UK is getting in on the act. Portsmouth News reports how the south-coast city is the first in the UK to trial the new, advanced CCTV system. If successful, it will be used more widely around the country.

This new intelligent breed of CCTV using a system called Perceptrak to try and predict crimes about the take place. If this sounds exactly like Minority Report then you’d be correct in your thinking, but rather than using precogs, the new-style CCTV uses computer software to make its guesstimates.

The software looks out for certain behavior patterns in individuals on the screen. This suspect behavior can include a car traveling too fast, a person loitering, or two people suspiciously meeting in known areas of drug dealing. If this activity is detected by the software, it puts an alert out to the CCTV operator who can then judge the situation and contact the police if necessary.

Councilor Jason Fazackarley of Portsmouth Council said:

It’s the 21st century equivalent of a night-watchman, but unlike a night-watchman it never blinks, it never takes a break and it never gets bored.

I’m not sure what to think about this because I fear people being targeted for so-called suspect behavior when in reality they are doing nothing wrong, and have no plans to do so. Also, while preventing crime is better than dealing with the aftermath, if criminals are stopped before actually committing an offense, how can they be charged with anything?

I already knew the UK was becoming a Big Brother state but this new technology just confirms my fears. Having said that, if it one day saves my life by preventing me being attacked, I’m not going to complain.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, November 29th, 2008 at 12:56 am under Crime, Opinion, Technology.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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