CCTV Installations in General Aviation Airports - WisDOT Research

Research StudyThis 1999 research study assessed the effectiveness of CCTV installations in a retail setting in the UK.Context-Specific Measures of CCTV Effectiveness in the Retail SectorA. Beck and A. Willis, Crime Prevention Studies, Volume 10, 1999 (pages 251-269)http://www.popcenter.org/library/crimeprevention/volume_10/10-BeckWillis.pdfAbstract: A study explores the effectiveness of closed-circuit television (CCTV) as a primary crime preventionmeasure directed against staff and customer theft in the retail clothing sector. Data were analyzed on theft ofinventory before and after installation of CCTV systems in 15 stores operated by a large fashion retailer in the U.K.Within 3 months of the installation of CCTV, the figures for loss to sales decreased from 2.45% to 1.97% for allstores. The installation of CCTV had a dramatic 20% effect on the levels of stock loss. Loss-to-sales figures, thenumber of units lost and their value all were robust measures of the likely impact of CCTV on theft. The most likelymechanism of CCTV’s impact was deterrence, though there was some evidence that the deterrence impactdiminished over time. The surveillance systems paid for themselves in reduced losses.Some points of interest from the study:• A researcher cited in the study suggested that there will “rarely if ever be sufficient data to assess the fullcosts and benefits that can be directly attributable to CCTV.”• This study’s results gauged the percentage change in stock loss after installation of CCTV. After threemonths, stores participating in the study showed an average improvement of 20 percent.• Results six months after installation were mixed. Locations with high-level, more sophisticated CCTVinstallations showed a substantial increase in stock loss, while stores with less sophisticated CCTVinstallations continued to see rates of improvement at or above the rates achieved at the three-monthcheckpoint.2