CCTVs spiralling out of control in Scotland

The installation of new CCTV cameras, as an expensive and evidentially unsuccessful means of surveillance, has spiked in Scotland prompting concerns among the public.

The Scottish reacted to the report by saying the public would be far safer if the money was spent on street lighting, proper policing and actually punishing criminals when they are caught, rather than giving them a slap on the wrist and putting them back on the streets.

“In too many towns we now have a CCTV on every street corner, yet never see a police officer there”, according to the people.

New figures have ignited fears that CCTV is “spiralling out of control” in Scotland after councils and police forces have spent more than £8 million to maintain their CCTV systems in the last year alone.

“There are now at least 4,114 public-space CCTV cameras and mobile camera vans across Scotland, with hundreds of staff employed to monitor them. The figures show that this is an increase of 1,000 cameras in less than a year”, figures show.

The “widespread surveillance” network of CCTV monitoring Scotland’s towns and cities has trebled in the past decade to more than 4,000 cameras, figures obtained by a local newspaper have revealed.

The figures have prompted calls for government regulation of the spiralling use of surveillance cameras.

The biggest rise in CCTV use in recent years has been in Aberdeen, where 680 cameras were in use in 2012, compared with 482 the previous year.

North Lanarkshire, whose network of cameras is operated by arms-length body Town Centre Activities, has 605 CCTV cameras.

The £8.2m costs across Scotland cover both staff and operating expenses, although this has come down by about £500,000, according to the latest figures.

“The Scottish government should follow the coalition government and innovate steps to regulate CCTV cameras to prevent inappropriate surveillance in our community”, said the Liberal Democrat leader, Willie Rennie.

“The use of CCTV in Scotland shouldn’t be allowed to spiral out of control without rhyme or reason,” Rennie added. “The Scottish government needs to provide assurances that someone is watching the watchmen and improve regulation for the use of CCTV.”
Mairi Clare Rodgers, of Liberty, said CCTV could be useful in “certain situations”.