Sunday, June 1, 2014

Technology, Surveillance and Resistance: CCTV Cameras

Innovative technologies have not only been created for ergonomic and productive purposes but also to advance the effectiveness of the criminal justice system. Closed Circuit Television cameras, more commonly known as CCTV cameras is an exemplary example of a piece of innovative technology which has been adapted as a multipurpose crime-fighting mechanism (Marsh; Meville, 2009, p.123). 


This situational crime prevention mechanism was theorised by the minds of classic 20th century theorists such as Foucault (1977) to be a source of constant, all seeing, all knowing surveillance. CCTV cameras are not only used to identify the exact timing, location, persons involved and circumstances of an incident within its investigation, but to also deter offenders by publically shaming their activities as well as lessening the rewards of crime (Marsh; Meville, 2009, p.124). 


The Queensland Police, sorted through CTTV imaging to retrace the last steps of murdered of French student Sophie Collombet, who was believed to be travelling home from Griffith University. Early on the investigation the police were able to identify the exact items on her person, particularly the clothes she was wearing, the train station and route she walked at the time in which the crime took place, all thanks to CTTV footage (ABC NEWS, 2014). Once correlating footage was revealed to the public, the police were able to identify, arrest and charge Benjamin James Milward with her murder (ABC NEWS, 2014).

It is however feared what technology, such as CCTV camera, could mean in the public sphere. Early fears of such technology controlled environments were embodied in George Orwell’s sci-fi novel Nineteen Eighty Four (1949). It was feared that the constant gaze of Big Brother ‘computerised surveillance’ could criminally reprimand any individual who in the public sphere ‘in the line of sight of a telescreen’ for a facial expression ‘Facecrime’ (Orwell, 1949, chap 5).

With this in mind, is it possible that society could become so intensely watched to the extent where a couple in Saudi Arabia openly displaying affection (a taboo in Sharia government state) on CCTV footage be immediately criminalised???

Although most see this as a ridiculous idea some have argued that this extreme level of surveillance is already imbedded within society.  A study in which this fear was represented was one conduct by McCahill and Norris (2003) within Britain.  According to McCahill and Norris (2003) within the UK alone there are 4.2million cameras, that is one for every 14 people. An even more scary statistic that was uncovered as a part of the study, revealed that the average person in caught on CCTV cameras 300 times per day during their daily routine. 

Many studies within the United Kingdom, a country in which pertains largest known population of CCTV cameras in the West, documented in journals as such as the Police Review have identified the faults of using CCTV footage (Marsh et al. 2009, p. 125). Just like any piece of technology, CTTV cameras are not perfect.  CCTV footage has been noted in some cases to be unreliable due to the poor picture quality, placement of the camera and even due to technical difficulties and/or interference to have been deleted or misplaced (Marsh et al. 2009, p. 126).

It has also been argued that the use of CCTV cameras within the criminal justice system is only helpful in public, otherwise known as street crimes. Crimes that take place behind closed doors per se, particularly cooperate crimes such as insider trading and private crimes such as domestic violence, are pretty much impossible to capture of CCTV cameras due to the ethical breach of privacy (Marsh et al. 2009, p. 127).

It is for this reason that innovative technologies within the criminal justice systems poses a difficult question:

If we as a law abiding society have nothing to hide, should we allow technologies such as CCTV cameras to infringe on our right to privacy, all in the name of a deterrent and just system???

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