outdoor lighting and crime, part 1 - Astronomical Society of Victoria

7.3 CCTV AND CRIME
7.3.1 Relevance to lighting and crime
The literature on CCTV surveillance is extensive. The technical literature on the optics,
electronics and displays is fine for engineers. The literature on the use of CCTV for crime
deterrence and detection sometimes gives the impression that even basic concepts of the
technology are not well understood. Unfortunately this often appears to impact on the value
of reports on the effectiveness of CCTV. This section is a review of papers that were readily
available and appeared to have something of possible relevance to the main subject of this
document.
Closed circuit television (CCTV) appeared to have an initial beneficial effect in reducing
car theft in car parks but the evidence for sustained effects was equivocal (Tilley 1993 [108]).
Brown (1995) [15] was more optimistic, although this judgement was qualified by evidence
that crime was merely displaced to areas out of camera range. Sherman et al. (1997, Chapters
7 and 10) [102] concluded that CCTV was of limited value. In the Bexley (UK) crime
study, it was not possible to demonstrate any statistically reliable deterrent effect of CCTV.
The authors were only able to say that CCTV was thought to have some value for providing
prosecution evidence (Pascoe and Harrington-Lynn 1998 [88]).
Painter and Tilley (1999) [87] is a collection of articles on issues including CCTV and
lighting. It includes a version of the review by Pease (1999) [90].
In an attempt to counter an image of Glasgow as a dangerous high-crime area, 32 CCTV
cameras were installed in city centre streets in 1994 (Ditton 1999 [27]). No significant
reductions in crime resulted in the following year, nor was there any reliable change in
the crime clear-up rate. Most incidents occurred between midnight and 4 am and the least
between 6 and 10 am. Subsequent viewing of tapes did assist the police in clearing up some
serious crimes. Only 41 % of persons questioned in the city were aware of the cameras 15
months after installation. The presence of the cameras had limited impact on public concern.
Twelve video cameras installed 2 years earlier in the nearby town of Airdrie produced
somewhat different results. Overall, recorded crime fell and detections rose in Airdrie after
camera installation, but in Glasgow recorded crime rose and detections fell. However, in
both locations, some more specific types of recorded crimes fell and some others rose. Both
schemes were pronounced successful, albeit in different ways (Ditton and Short 1999 [28]).
Lighting, extra or not, is not mentioned, so any possible confounding by lighting differences
cannot be ascertained. Flett (1999) [39] reported a more pessimistic view by Ditton, who
said that the cameras were not cost effective, producing one arrest every 40 days. Nor had
there been any sign of the investment, jobs or visitors the cameras were supposed to bring.
Munro (2000) [70] reported that the outdoor CCTV system installed in Melbourne’s
central business district was costly in terms of bringing offenders to justice in its initial
years. Proponents of the system have since had additional funds allocated for its expansion
in the belief that performance will thereby improve.
This is far from a full account of the CCTV and crime literature (eg there is more at
SOCRU (2002) [104]). The virtually complete absence of lighting details is noticeable in
the papers seen, precluding judgement on any possible confounding by additional lighting.
Likewise, reference to the extensive high quality literature on the poor vigilance performance
of humans monitoring TV screens for infrequent events seems far short of appropriate.
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