Installing CCTV Cameras in the City- Is that an invasion of your privacy?

---

With the increasing number of CCTV cameras in the city to prevent crime.
Are they really helping in preventing crime or just intrude our privacy? Let us discuss both the factors of increasing CCTV cameras. With the increasing rate of crimes happening all around the world today, the governing bodies and especially the police has almost made it mandatory to install CCTV cameras around the cities at public places.
Living in a constant fear of rapists, thieves, burglars, and suicidal bombers, or rather terrorists is an everyday affair today, and this causes a lot of tension amongst citizens. They might not stop crimes instantly, but at least help the police in their investigation work.
Also, the question that arises is, whether the surveillance cameras intrude privacy or not? Well, they have both pros, and cons, and we will discuss them.   Improves public safety and guarantees security  With the aim to keep an eye on the crimes that are committed in the clubs, to restaurants, at the highways, or anywhere else, these cameras assure you of some safety if not totally.  The seamless surveillance solutions that are being offered, especially at late nights and lonely streets are very useful today when criminal activities are rampant.  Once anything suspicious is noticed in any area, the authorities can track them and take right action. Reduces crime rates vehemently The installation of these cameras in the public areas like malls, stations or the bus stands, will make the criminals alert and they will think, and rather not even act on any crime knowing they are continuously watched.
Statistics have also proved that during post installation phase of the cameras, crimes have actually reduced. An easier way to catch criminals Sometimes it becomes difficult for the police to trace the criminals without actually having any proof or evidence.
This is basically a problem solved by the CCTV cameras, as the police can now use the cameras to understand the faces of the criminals, notice them and catch them in a more effortless manner. The person caught on camera makes easier for police to search for him.
Helps to provide evidence and clues The camera captures the criminal committing the crime live, and this helps the police to take strict action by using the footage as an evidence and clue that is submitted to the court for further investigation and action.  Similarly, they can also discharge someone who is innocent and serving some punishment. Now, the question arises, don’t they hamper public privacy? Here lies some answers to this.
Yes, they do violate privacy rights Being monitored with cameras all the time you are on the road, at the movie theatre, or at the mall is something no one approves of. This definitely counts as an invasion of the public privacy rights, and not everyone would love to get their private life exposed to the authorities.
Can be easily distorted Be it in the form of black or voyeurism, the CCTV cameras can be easily used to abuse someone.  Lacking the control on these devices can also be used to follow women, and mistreating them by stalkers. The effectiveness always raises a question No criminal would be deterred by the fact that a surveillance camera is there if he has made up a mind to commit a crime.
Thus, you cannot fully trust these cameras to stop criminal activities as they are mostly ineffective, and also there are some of them that do not even work at the public areas. Thus today, the surveillance cameras can definitely help to ensure public safety, protect property, and prevent crimes.
But also, there are crimes that are impossible to be controlled by them, and they end up intruding into public privacy, too.  But, if the debate has to have one side, it is always the advantages that should be treated as more important, outweighing the disadvantages. After all, public safety is more important than someone’s privacy! Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com My name is Jigar and I am from India I work as a digital marketing executive at securitykart..