HD CCTV

[Milkins]

...now, I dunno about you but I don't trust any local council and particularly don't trust them in terms of the use of HD CCTV.

We are being watched. We are giving them money to pay for the equipment with which they watch us. I never, and have never found anyone, who voted in a council on the back of a "we will install CCTV" ticket.

The latest cameras will track someone from up to half a mile away using face recognition techniques.

You can holler all you like about "if you've done nothing wrong you've got nothing to worry about" but this insidious march towards watching what everyone does all day, every day is becoming a little too sinister.

Crime happens - like it or not. People break into houses, rob banks, hit old ladies, sell drugs and steal cars. As far as I can make out none of this has stopped since the introduction of these cameras.

"Aaah - a burglary you say? Well, sorry but it's unlikely we'll catch them unless it happened in the town centre in sight of one of our cameras. Now just f**k off and claim on your insurance and stop distracting us from our lovely technology (that you paid for)...".

[... and chips]

The result is not neccesarily more criminals caught, but more behaviour being criminalised. In city centres activities deemed to be not conducive to spending money are banned - skateboarding being the obvious example. And quite rightly so, we don't want kids doing exercise or learning that dedication to achieving something (a trick) is a good thing, nor should we encourage them make friends and socialise with their peer group. It is a terrible business.

[RubiconCSL]

In most places yes. But in Stratford, I was quite surprised that at night, in the Stratford Shopping Centre, it basically gets turned into a skating park. Every day, there is a market, then in the evening, there must be at least 40 kids skating around, causing nobody any problems. I've never seen one of them run into anyone, nor seen any of them look like they are deliberately upsetting anyone. The rest of us walk through, with no problems. Mind you, they probably have HD CCTV, otherwise I'm sure it would be a den of drug dealing iniquity. Thank God for CCTV eh, allowing us to sleep soundly in our beds, safe from the ne'er do wells who would otherwise stalk the streets.

The result is not neccesarily more criminals caught, but more behaviour being criminalised. In city centres activities deemed to be not conducive to spending money are banned - skateboarding being the obvious example. And quite rightly so, we don't want kids doing exercise or learning that dedication to achieving something (a trick) is a good thing, nor should we encourage them make friends and socialise with their peer group. It is a terrible business.

[Miss Tickle's bottom]

The issue for me is not the collection of information (which is what video footage basically is), it is the administration of that information.

[Milkins]

I just don't get it - they are supposed to be a crime prevention tool but crime is still mooching along in the same old way.

The police have a number plate recognition system. They see a car that flags up on the system. It's being driven quietly through the streets. The police turn on the lights and instantly a ridiculous, life threatening (not just to the police and the suspect) high speed pursuit is triggered. "He's driving like a maniac...!!". Yes, of course he is - he doesn't want to be caught. Duh!

Just go around his f**kin' house next time and take the bl**dy car away. No need for more technology - just a little more thought will do.

Tw@ts.

[Rusty]

The ANPR system is crap anyway, I've known of two people that drove round for months without an MOT (unknowingly) without ever being stopped.

[Pompski!]

I agree Milkins that more convictions are needed and tougher sentences are required to cut crime, not just adding new technology.

I guess the problem I have with this is that the gov will say "well we now have this HD CCTV system in place so we need fewer officers on the streets" meaning there will still be a lot of crime because of the lack of visibility of police.

It won't deter crime but it might help bang up some of the **** who go out on a Saturday night and beat people up.

[Purbrook Chimes]

The ANPR system is crap anyway, I've known of two people that drove round for months without an MOT (unknowingly) without ever being stopped.

the system is as good as its links to the DVLA and the Motor Insurers database lets it be, garbage in garbage out , but as a counter to that statement my son in law bought a car with no tax, he went down to Portsmouth and taxed it at the DVLA then drove up the Eastern Road (where there is a static camera), two days later he had a fine through the post for driving an untaxed car, when he phoned the DVLA they said yes we know you have taxed it but at the time the system obviously hadn't updated so they cancelled the fine, so I suggest your mates got lucky

[Portchester PFC]

The ANPR system is crap anyway, I've known of two people that drove round for months without an MOT (unknowingly) without ever being stopped.

That does not mean the system is crap, all that means is that they probably never drove past a fixed ANPR camera or a police car equipped with one.

[Rusty]

It was over 4 months in one case, I doubt they'd never have passed one in that period.

[... and chips]

In most places yes. But in Stratford, I was quite surprised that at night, in the Stratford Shopping Centre, it basically gets turned into a skating park. Every day, there is a market, then in the evening, there must be at least 40 kids skating around, causing nobody any problems. I've never seen one of them run into anyone, nor seen any of them look like they are deliberately upsetting anyone. The rest of us walk through, with no problems. Mind you, they probably have HD CCTV, otherwise I'm sure it would be a den of drug dealing iniquity. Thank God for CCTV eh, allowing us to sleep soundly in our beds, safe from the ne'er do wells who would otherwise stalk the streets.

Fantastic. There is a similar arrange in Newcastle where skaters are allowed to skate the steps/ledges outside the law courts.

[pomp 'n circumstance]

We can probably all quote motoring individual cases, where someone has got away with no tax or MOT for a few/days/months etc - it doesn't make the system wrong. In London, we are probably the most closely monitored group of residents in Europe - it doesn't bother any of us that much and most of us are mightily relieved to have the system in operation.......

[Milkins]

We can probably all quote motoring individual cases, where someone has got away with no tax or MOT for a few/days/months etc - it doesn't make the system wrong. In London, we are probably the most closely monitored group of residents in Europe - it doesn't bother any of us that much and most of us are mightily relieved to have the system in operation.......

...because...?

[Weybridge]

We can probably all quote motoring individual cases, where someone has got away with no tax or MOT for a few/days/months etc - it doesn't make the system wrong. In London, we are probably the most closely monitored group of residents in Europe - it doesn't bother any of us that much and most of us are mightily relieved to have the system in operation.......

...because...?

because

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

[pomp 'n circumstance]

We can probably all quote motoring individual cases, where someone has got away with no tax or MOT for a few/days/months etc - it doesn't make the system wrong. In London, we are probably the most closely monitored group of residents in Europe - it doesn't bother any of us that much and most of us are mightily relieved to have the system in operation.......

...because...?

....it acts as a deterent, if nothing else! But in the main it makes the potential person intent on criminal activity think twice perhaps? And if perhaps you have 10 people out at any given time in a specific area with the thought of acting with criminal intent and it deters 4 of them committing the act, then the CCTV justifies it's use.....and frees up Police time to tackle other crime.