What Is The Truth About CCTV
Monday, August 1st, 2011In the twenty-first century you are more than likely going to be recorded on a CCTV system at least once when leaving your home. Closed-Circuit Television is a monitoring system that allows the user to transmit images from a video camera to a remote location, usually a monitor with recording equipment. So what exactly does this modern piece of technology have to offer?
The most common use of the system is for the monitoring of crime and disorder. Used throughout the country in bars, social events and public places cameras have provided the authorities with an invaluable tool in identifying and deterring offenders. Where a crime has taken place the system is able to provide police with close-up views of those responsible and enable them to be brought to justice.
Within many town centres cameras can be found, and these have proven to be an important resource in tracking down offenders. Whether it is a shoplifter or drunken reveler, cameras within a town centre also offer deterrence to any would-be criminal.
Many people are also choosing to equip their homes with cameras. Crime and disorder does not only occur in the town centres, but also within the urban areas. A home is much less likely to look attractive to a burglar if it has a camera on the outside monitoring all those who approach it. However if the home is subject to a criminal act regardless, the CCTV system will hopefully provide evidence for the police in catching whoever was responsible.
Cameras are also used for monitoring purposes, such as within nuclear power plants where human observation is not possible. Specific CCTV systems have been developed to withstand the harsh environment of locations where there are chemicals present, and these provide workers with the ability to monitor industrial processes from a safe distance.
In modern times many roads are also covered by cameras. The reason for this is to monitor congestion and register accidents. Many of these cameras are privately owned and transmit the data directly to vehicles GPS systems. There are however over 1,200 cameras owned by the Highways Agency. However these are also used to monitor traffic conditions, and not to be used as speed cameras.
There are also occasions where camera monitoring may be set up to assist in transport safety. Either at a theme park, or even on public transport, CCTV equipment can be used to provide a view of the passengers and help to ensure that they are safe throughout their ride. The cameras can also be used to ensure that the particular parts of the vehicle can be moved, such as doors being closed once passengers have embarked/disembarked.
It is clear that CCTV systems have very much become a modern part of society. There are a number of different circumstances in which it has proven to be useful, and it is hard to imagine a world where we did not have the benefits of such a system. There are however arguments against the spread of CCTV, however these could be weighed unfavourably against those reasons for the system explained above.