Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific, limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly transmitted, though it may employ point to point wireless links. CCTV is often used for surveillance in areas which need security, such as banks, casinos, and airports or military installations.

Increasing use of CCTV in public places has caused debate over public security versus privacy. In industrial plants, CCTV equipment may be used to observe parts of a process that are remote from a control room, or where the environment is not comfortable for humans. CCTV systems may operate continuously or only as required to monitor a particular event.

Nowadays there are around 4 million CCTV equipments around England recording the societys activities 24/7. Not only recording spots where the crime rate is high, these CCTVs were also installed around places where the rate is low. Meaning to provide a more sophisticated security and safer street for the people, an increasing number of concerns regarding privacy and a waste of peoples budget have been noted.

One Scotland town, Tain, where crime rate is low has spent around 200,000 pounds to install 50 CCTV equipments around the town, surveilling its 3,500 people recorded digitally.

For other place, Airdrie, crime rate has been falling as many as 75% after the authority installed 130,000 pounds worth CCTV equipments throughout the town.

While a constable deputy chief concerned on a waste of budget to install these cameras on place where crime rates are low, he doesnt deny the fact that CCTV equipments could prevent crimes, help the authorities to respond faster should a situation arise or even provide evidence showing an alleged suspect is guilty of a crime or not should one happens. CCTV digital recording equipment having the capabilities of could be backed up to CD and DVD or other small mass storage, cost a lot less space to keep than their VHS ancestor, thus giving the advantage of keeping more records in the same data record keeping room.

The privacy issue comes to attention that with 4 million CCTV equipments one person can be recorded more than 200 times at several different places revealing his/her day long activities everyday.

There are means of making the streets safer but the most important way to do this is hire more policeman/policewoman, a spokeswoman pointed out.

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=785572007