In a public surveillance cameras good or bad debate, the first question is whether the

surveillance cameras in public places are an invasion of privacy.

42% say yes and 58% say no, according to the debeate.org in the security cameras and privacy
discussion.
When you are walking down the street, driving in your car, or hanging out with boyfriends and
girlfriends, you will be monitored with cameras placed in public. This creates a complete picture
of the private life of an individual. We all have a private life and we don’t want others or the
government to know.

Yet, public surveillance does help with the investigation and protect us. There are no laws that
prohibit surveillance cameras in public places. And more than half of the reviewed citizens think
that cameras would not be an invasion of privacy if they were put in places that are not private,
like in the parking lots or in business.
Since public safety is guaranteed, people’s fear of crime can also be reduced, while their sense of security
is created.
According to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2015, nearly 80% of public
schools put up surveillance systems in public places to secure campuses.
To ensure students’ safety, administrators of Broward County School have announced that they will
introduce AI-powered facial recognition security systems to the campuses after the Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School shooting in 2018 that led to the death of 17 students and staff.
Pro 2. Public Surveillance Cameras Reduce Crime Rate
Video surveillance statistics show that camera surveillance does reduce crime – after security cameras
were put in public, crime incidents in Humboldt Park dropped 20%.
If an individual knows that there are live surveillance cameras in a certain area, they may be less willing
to commit a crime near the location for the fear of being caught.
Some authorities place public cameras in Walmart and other shops, hoping that the cameras will help
prevent crimes from being committed.

Pro 3. Public Video Surveillance Helps Catch Criminals

If a crime is committed in an area where a public surveillance camera has been set up, the chances of
catching the criminal are much higher.
Facial recognition software has improved greatly over the years. So, if criminals are captured by security
cameras in public places, the local authority is able to recognize and catch them easier with facial
recognition technology. Posters can be created and the images can be aired on network television to help
spread the word about the criminal.
Without the surveillance cameras in public places, it can be extremely difficult to gain a quality
description of the person who committed the crime, even if there were eyewitnesses.
Catching criminals is one of the best benefits of surveillance cameras in public places. The bombing at
Boston Marathon is a good example. It only took the FBI three days to release blurry shots of the two
suspects, taken by a surveillance camera installed in a department store.

Pro 4. Video Cameras in Public Locations Provide Evidence and

Gather Clues
Another benefit of surveillance is that any footage that captures a crime being committed can be used in a
court of law as evidence against the accused.
In some cases, if there were no CCTV security camera systems in public places, there would be little or
no evidence to convict the person of the crime and the individual may go free. With night vision security
cameras on watch, robbers can be recognized even if they commit a crime in dark areas.
Additionally, in some cases, the public video surveillance footage can also help prove someone’s
innocence if they have been accused of a crime that they did not commit.
Research on the value of CCTV systems shows that CCTV footage is classified as useful in 62.2% of
robbery investigations and nearly 61% of assault investigations.
Pro 5. Public Video Surveillance Brings Convenience for
Everyday Life
Some cities have placed cameras on stop lights as a way to help prevent people from speeding or from
going through a red light.
And also, relevant authorities can monitor road conditions with the live surveillance cameras. So they can
make real-time traffic reports, helping people choose the right time and road when going out.
 Cons of Security Cameras in Public Places

While there are advantages of CCTV, there are disadvantages.

What’s wrong with public video surveillance? Here are some bad points of public CCTV cameras.
Con 1. Surveillance Systems Are Easily Abused
A con of surveillance cameras in public places is that these security cameras may be abused. One
example of how a public camera may be misused is that information gathered by law enforcement can be
used as a form of blackmail.
Another form of abuse is voyeurism. Spying on women with public surveillance cameras is quite
common, which becomes quite an issue that needs to be dealt with.
Overall, the simple lack of control or limits on public camera use is one of the biggest problems. Until
now, there is no a good check-and-balance system, in order to prevent abuses from occurring.
Con 2. Effectiveness of a Public Security Camera Is Doubted
Another controversy of the use of surveillance cameras in public places is that its effectiveness has not
been proven. While there has been a push for more public CCTV cameras to be placed in public places
because of the threat of terrorist attacks, it is quite clear that a suicidal bomber is not going to be deterred
by the fact that there is a camera in place.
Con 3. Public Camera Surveillance Is Expensive
One of the arguments against the widespread use of public surveillance cameras is that it costs big money.
Since it is not effective enough to deter crimes and theft, why would we spend too much money in it,
which not only fails to make us safer but also violates our personal rights?
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, officials in Michigan have been proposing to put up
public video surveillance for years, but ended up concluding that the limited results could not justify high
maintenance and personnel costs.

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 Conclusion of Installing Public Surveillance
Cameras

In today’s world, public cameras can be extremely helpful.

After the Orlando nightclub shooting, how to stay safe in public places, say, a night club, has been a
hot topic. Needless to say, placing cameras in strategic areas throughout a city can help ensure public
safety, protect property, and prevent crimes.
On the other hand, there are always crimes that are not deterred by surveillance cameras. And the abuse
of public video cameras would violate privacy and personal rights. Therefore, how to balance public
safety and personal privacy needs to be considered further.
As far as I am concerned, the benefits of surveillance outweigh the disadvantages greatly.
According to FBI statistics on surveillance cameras, there were an estimated 1,165,383 violent crimes
8,277,829 property crimes reported in 2014, and the crime rate has been rising in recent years.
I can’t imagine how bad the situation would be if there were no public security cameras. There is no
much about the concern of privacy violation when you behave yourself in public places. Security in
public places should always be put on top of priority.
If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about. What do you think about surveillance
cameras in public places? Feel free to share your ideas by leaving a comment below!