Nowadays, CCTV is easily seen everywhere in Korea, since many people recognize that CCTV is effective in controlling crimes. More people do not think they are monitored through CCTV but protected from crimes with the help of CCTV.
The proper functions...
Nowadays, CCTV is easily seen everywhere in Korea, since many people recognize that CCTV is effective in controlling crimes. More people do not think they are monitored through CCTV but protected from crimes with the help of CCTV.
The proper functions of CCTV can not be denied and only its adverse effects are stressed. Previous researches have continuously disputed about the effectiveness of CCTV, but it has been proved that CCTV has potential to prevent crimes at least. In other words, some may dispute about CCTV's actual efficacy to reduce crimes, but local residents clearly recognize its invisible power in keeping public order and diminishing their fear of crimes.
In this regard, this study aims to investigate into schemes to maximize the effectiveness of security CCTV and reduce the crime displacement effects and adverse effects and so on by utilizing CCTV. To do that, the present author examined various previous researches of relevance conducted at home and abroad and statistics released by the government and related agencies, in order to understand the basics of security CCTV including the installation and operation of security CCTV.
The effectiveness of the CCTVs on the crime prevention, which have been installed in Kang-nam Gu, Seoul since 2003, are acknowledged by many people. However, there is little scientific research on the effectiveness of this system. Most of the previous research on the CCTVs just compared short time change of the descriptive crime statistics between Kang-nam Gu and other areas.
This research evaluates the effectiveness of the CCTVs by examining the crime displacement effects as well as the diffusion effects of crime control benefits. For this research, the author obtained burglary and robbery data from Gang-nam Gu, and neighborhood Gus, Su-seo Gu, Seo-cho Gu, and Song-pa Gu.
Compared to the City-wide (Seoul) crime trend, Gang-nam Gu and other neighborhood areas have shown reduction of burglary which is the evidence of the diffusion effects of crime control benefits. However, in the case of robbery, the analysis shows the displacement effects to the neighborhood areas. Also, this study found the temporary announcement effects by advertising the installation of the CCTVs.
To enhance the effect of CCTVs, the government should have regard to set basic policy as an advance preparation of the installation and the use firstly; to come by citizen’s agreement to CCTV and to carry out a preparatory research; to construct cooperation with local governments and to secure related budget. For the installation and the use, the government should consider the performance and surroundings of the CCTVs, and employ an operator who takes full charge of it. Also, the government needs to determine the installing body and the subject of defray expenses and the operating body, and keep up the complementing operation-problem affair.
For augmenting the effect of crime prevention, on the other hand, to set security lights and to use the imitation security-cameras are available, and the management has to be maintained giving consideration to the technological development from now on and the increase in number of cameras. Potential crime can also be prevented through public relations. Investigation or intelligence activities or anti-crime activities can make full use of it, related to the function of police.
Lastly, to suppress spread of the crime and to increase the benefit of controlling the crime, the government should establish valuation-system for CCTVs, and needs to research and investigate the effect of deterring crime and understanding of citizens. The plan for increasing benefit is to inform the incidents solved through CCTVs, called announcement effect.
CCTV is a necessary evil in our present society. New kinds of crimes emerged with the development of computers. But we did not give up the use of computers but expanded the usefulness of computers while coping with new crimes. In the same manner, we must continue to search for schemes to address and manage the problems of CCTV, which is used for quite clear purposes, i.e., the reduction of crimes.