The document summarizes research on the effects of video surveillance. It finds that research shows only a marginal positive effect on crime reduction in public spaces, but a significant effect in car parks. However, the research has been narrow in focus and based mostly on the unique case of the UK. There are still large gaps in understanding the impacts in other contexts and potential benefits beyond crime prevention, such as crime investigation and perceived safety. More comprehensive research is needed.

1. Markus Lahtinen & Benjamin Weaver
Lusax, Lunds Universitet
www.lusax.ehl.lu.se
markus@lusax.se
benjamin@lusax.se
22 September 2015 Security User Expo -Tryghedskameraets dag 1
The effects of video surveillance
– what does the research say?

2. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag22 September 2015 2

3. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Why is research important?
322 September 2015
”CCTV should be
a last measure”
”Research does
not support the
notion that CCTV
reduces crime”
Kristina Svahn Starrsjö
Head of Data Inspection Authority

4. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
The principle of
proportionality
422 September 2015
Individual’s
right to privacy
• Social exclusion
• Surveillance
creep
• Fortress society
Potential value
of camera
surveillance:
• Prevention
• Detection
• Investigation

5. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag22 September 2015 5
Country City
centers
Council
housing
Public
transport
Parking
lots
Other Total
UK 17 7 3 6 3 37
US, CA 3 2 1 6
SE, NO 2 2
Total 22 9 4 6 3 44
Welsh & Farrington 2007
• Systematic review of the effects of public
space CCTV commissioned by Swedish
Crime Prevention Council (BRÅ)
• 44 scientific studies fit criteria
20 from1978-1999,24 from 2000-2005

6. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Overall: 16% crime reduction
622 September 2015
Source: Welsh & Farrington,2009

7. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
What does the research say?
Research question:
The preventive effect of video
surveillance on crime rate
• None or marginal effect in city
centre / public space
– spontaneous crime
• Significant effect on car parks –
planned crime
22 September 2015 7

8. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Gaps in the research
• UK– a unique case
• Criminological (quasi-experimental) method
– Narrow focus on crime rates
– Narrow focus on a few specific contexts
• Technology shift: analog – digital
– Improved image quality
– Increased ease of retrieval and distribution
822 September 2015

9. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag22 September 2015 9
UK – a unique context
• 4-5 million surveillance cameras (?)
• 20% of world’s CCTV cameras
• One camera per 14 inhabitants:
A person is captured 300 times/day
• Government and local authorities have spent
£1,2 billion on CCTV from 1994 – 2011
• Strong public support in favour of
video surveillance

10. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Example: Shetland Islands
1022 September 2015
• One of the smallest
councils in UK
• 23000 residents
• 100 public space
CCTV camera
• More public space CCTV-cameras
than San Francisco and Sydney (2009)
Source: BBC (2009)

11. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
UK is an extreme outlier
• State sponsored,
unregulated CCTV
on a massive scale
• Large and costly
city centre CCTV
systems
• Crime prevention has been an explicitly stated
political goal – hence important to measure the
effect of CCTV
22 September 2015 11

12. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
”Big Brother” surveillance
is a special case, even in UK
• 50,000 out of 4-6 million
cameras in UK (1%)
• Germany, Norway, Denmark,
Austria, Hungary:
1000 public CCTV cameras (Urbaneye, 2004)
• The vast majority of cameras that cover public
space have been funded and installed by
private companies or organisations
1222 September 2015

13. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Public space CCTV a rarity in Sweden
1322 September 2015
City Place No. cams Year In use
Malmö Möllevångstorget 3 2001 No(?)
Helsingborg Stadsparken 5 2001 No
Landskrona Centrum 16 2007 No
Malmö Stortorget-Södergatan 5 2012 No
Malmö Seved / Rasmusgatan 4 2012 Yes
Stockholm
Medborgarplatsen
Stureplan
9
7
2012 Yes
Malmö Rosengård 2 2015 Yes

14. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Narrow focus on crime prevention
1422 September 2015
Crime rates are easy to measure but does not
provide the whole picture:
• Many confounding factors: street lighting, crime
trends, police force organisation…
• No qualitative information:
Change in types of crime, degree of seriousness…
• Limited attention to other outcomes, e.g. injury
– Several studies show that monitored CCTV significantly limits
the effects of assault injuries, due to early detection and
intervention.

15. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Little or no research on other
potential benefits of CCTV
• Crime investigation and conviction
– Important for a high level of public
confidence in the criminal justice system
– Significant cost/time savings
• Detection and early intervention
• Perceived safety by public
• Documentation & education
All hard to measure quantitatively…
22 September 2015 15

16. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Milton Keynes study 2006
1622 September 2015
• Explorative case study
• City centre CCTV-system with 36 cameras in
Milton Keynes, UK
• Approximately £2 million in annual savings for
police and criminal justice system
– Early detection of crime
– Early admittance of guilt and other investigative
resource saving effects throughout the entire
criminal justice system
Source: Owen, Keats & Gill (2006)

17. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Other public space contexts
Focus on city centres and parking lots leaves large
gaps in the research:
• Schools: Anecdotal evidence points to positive
results on firesetting, vandalism
• Shops, companies: Use camera surveillance for
many purposes and see many benefits
• Public transport
• Arenas etc…
22 September 2015 17

18. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
”Third forensic science”
1822 September 2015
• Shift to digital systems and systematic use of
video for identification
• Approx. 4000 of 5000 London riots 2011 arrests
directly related to CCTV-generated evidence
Source: Mick Neville,Central Forensic ImageTeam,Metropolitan Police,London

19. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
Conclusions
• Research on CCTV effects important for
legislation and regulation
• Existing research shows a marginal positive
preventive effect
• The research has so far been too narrow
in its focus, leaving large knowledge gaps
22 September 2015 19

20. SecurityUser Expo – Tryghedskameraets dag
We need new research that…
2022 September 2015
• Investigates
the concrete
disadvantages
• of video
surveillance
• Investigates
benefits beyound
crime prevention
• Is based on
evidence from
other contexts
and countries
• Uses alternative
methods