Video Surveillance Technology Helps Crime Prevention & Identification

Probably the most widespread and effective use of Close Circuit Television- a group of cameras linked to specific monitors- for video surveillance is for security purposes. Imagine having your home burglarized and not being able to catch and identify the perpetrator, or banks being robbed across the nation without a consistent means of identification. It is difficult to comprehend in our age of video monitoring, but there was a time when CCTV wasn’t available, and it wasn’t much long ago. 

Long before employee and student monitoring, video surveillance for crime prevention and identification was actually what made it widespread. Closed Circuit Television made the leap from rocket launches to public places in the United Kingdom in response to terrorist activity. The technology soon caught on in the United States, though not quite as widespread, and spread throughout the world. 

While there hasn’t been exact numbers released regarding the reduction of crime since the inception of CCTV, law enforcement will tell you that the presence of security cameras does bring crime deterrence. More measurable results, however, come in the area of identifying and prosecuting criminals. As technology grows, we are increasingly capable of zooming in on and clearly identifying criminals under security cameras. This ability has, however, made the cameras themselves the target of attack. 

Despite this ability to catch and identify most perpetrators “red-handed,” there will always be someone willing to try their own hand at law-breaking. This is evidenced by the slough of late-night COPS-esque television shows airing the blunders and mishaps of a life of crime. It seems no matter where security cameras are placed, someone is going to push the limits and expect to be “the one that got away.” Fortunately, though it may not always stop the offense, Closed Circuit Televisions have provided a way to identify and bring the criminal to justice.

• Video Surveillance Corp., Headquartered On Staten Island, N.Y., Embraces Technologies That Identify, Squash Criminal …

  NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ In the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the awareness of video surveillance as a crimefighting tool continues to evolve with technology. “Today, hightech surveillance not only can record lawlessness, but stop it in its tracks,” said Bob De Gennaro, president of Staten Island, N.Y.based Video Surveillance Corp. “Video verification, for example …

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