1932
0
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Annual Review of Law and Social Science
  4. Volume 11, 2015
  5. Article

Annual Review of Law and Social Science

Volume 11, 2015

Effectiveness and Social Costs of Public Area Surveillance for Crime Prevention

Abstract

Video surveillance, or closed-circuit television (CCTV), has become a highly popular and prevalent method of preventing crime in public space in many countries across the world. Although it often dominates the policy focus, questions have been raised about its effectiveness and social costs, as well as how it compares to alternative surveillance measures. A theoretical and programmatic understanding of surveillance draws attention to other widely used surveillance measures that perform a crime prevention function in public places. These include improved street lighting, security guards, place managers (e.g., bus drivers and parking lot attendants), and defensible space (i.e., changes to the built environment). This article reviews the research evidence on the effectiveness of the full range of public area surveillance measures and examines related social costs. It also serves to broaden the view of public area surveillance beyond the current narrow focus on CCTV.

Keyword(s): closed-circuit television, crime prevention, public space, security guards, street lighting, video surveillance
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-120814-121649
2015-11-03
2024-04-25
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/lawsocsci/11/1/annurev-lawsocsci-120814-121649.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-120814-121649&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

Literature Cited

  1. Adams AA, Ferryman JM. 2015. The future of video analytics for surveillance and its ethical implications. Secur. J. 28:272–89
  2. Agiesta J. 2007. Surveillance cameras: Fighting crime or invading privacy?. Washington Post Poll July 31. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/behind-the-numbers/post/surveillance-cameras-fighting-crime-or-invading-privacy/2010/12/20/ABPycvF_blog.html
  3. Agustina JR, Clavell G. 2011. The impact of CCTV on fundamental rights and crime prevention strategies: the case of the Catalan Control Commission of video surveillance devices. Comput. Law Secur. Rev. 27:168–74 [Google Scholar]
  4. Armitage R. 2000. An evaluation of secured by design housing within West Yorkshire Polic. Reduc. Crime Unit Brief. Note, Home Off., London
  5. Armitage R, Smyth G, Pease K. 1999. See Painter & Tilley 1999 225–50
  6. Atlanta Reg. Comm 1974. Street Light Project: Final Evaluation Report. Atlanta, GA: Atlanta Reg. Comm.
  7. Atlas R, LeBlanc WG. 1994. The impact on crime of street closure and barricades: a Florida case study. Secur. J. 5:140–45 [Google Scholar]
  8. Barclay P, Buckley J, Brantingham PJ, Brantingham PL, Whinn-Yate T. 1996. Preventing auto theft in suburban Vancouver commuter lots: effects of a bike patrol. Preventing Mass Transit Crime. Crime Prevention Studies 6 RV Clarke 133–61 Monsey, NY: Crim. Justice Press [Google Scholar]
  9. Bennett TH, Wright R. 1984. Burglars on Burglary Farnborough, UK: Gower
  10. Blixt M. 2003. The Use of Surveillance Cameras for the Purpose of Crime Prevention English Summary. Stockholm, Swed.: Natl. Counc. Crime Prev.
  11. Bottoms AE. 1990. Crime prevention facing the 1990s. Polic. Soc. 1:3–22 [Google Scholar]
  12. Brown B. 1995. CCTV in town centres: three case studies Crime Detect. Prev. Ser. Pap. No. 68, Home Off., London
  13. Burgess EW. 1942. Introduction. Juvenile Delinquency and Urban Areas: A Study of Rates of Delinquents in Relation to Differential Characteristics of Local Communities in American Cities CR Shaw, HD McKay ix–xiii Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press [Google Scholar]
  14. Burrows JN. 1980. Closed circuit television on the London underground. Designing Out Crime RV Clarke, P Mayhew 75–83 London: Her Majesty's Station. Off. [Google Scholar]
  15. Bursik RJ, Grasmick HG. 1993. Neighborhoods and Crime: The Dimensions of Effective Community Control New York: Lexington Books
  16. Cameron A, Kolodinski E, May H, Williams N. 2008. Measuring the Effects of Video Surveillance on Crime in Los Angeles Los Angeles: Calif. Res. Bur., Univ. South. Calif. School Policy Plan. Dev.
  17. Cerezo A. 2013. CCTV and crime displacement: a quasi-experimental evaluation. Eur. J. Criminol. 10:222–36 [Google Scholar]
  18. Clarke RV. 1992. Introduction: Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies RV Clarke 1–36 Albany, NY: Harrow and Heston
  19. Clarke RV. 1995. Opportunity-reducing crime prevention strategies and the role of motivation. Integrating Crime Prevention Strategies: Propensity and Opportunity P-OH Wikström, RV Clarke, J McCord 55–67 Stockholm, Swed.: Natl. Counc. Crime Prev. [Google Scholar]
  20. Clarke RV. 1997. Introduction: Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies RV Clarke 1–43 Guilderland, NY: Harrow and Heston, 2nd ed..
  21. Clarke RV. 2000. Situational prevention, criminology, and social values. Ethical and Social Perspectives on Situational Crime Prevention A von Hirsch, D Garland, A Wakefield 97–112 Oxford, UK: Hart [Google Scholar]
  22. Clarke RV. 2008. Improving street lighting to reduce crime in residential areas Response Guides Ser. No. 8, Off. Community Oriented Polic. Serv., US Dep. Justice, Washington, DC
  23. Clarke RV. 2009. Situational crime prevention: theoretical background and current practice. Handbook on Crime and Deviance MD Krohn, AJ Lizotte, GP Hall 259–76 New York: Springer [Google Scholar]
  24. Clarke RV, Bichler-Robertson G. 1998. Place managers, slumlords and crime in low rent apartment buildings. Secur. J. 11:11–19 [Google Scholar]
  25. Cohen LE, Felson M. 1979. Social change and crime rate trends: a routine activities approach. Am. Sociol. Rev. 44:588–608 [Google Scholar]
  26. Cornish DB, Clarke RV. 2003. Opportunities, precipitators and criminal decisions: a reply to Wortley's critique of situational crime prevention. Theory for Practice in Situational Crime Prevention. Crime Prevention Studies 16 MJ Smith, DB Cornish 41–96 Monsey, NY: Crim. Justice Press [Google Scholar]
  27. Cozens PM, Neale RH, Whitaker J, Hillier D, Graham M. 2003. A critical review of street lighting, crime and the fear of crime in the British city. Crime Prev. Community Saf. 5:7–24 [Google Scholar]
  28. Dailey K. 2013. The rise of CCTV surveillance in the US. BBC News Magazine April 28. http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22274770
  29. Dep. Intergov. Fiscal Liaison 1974. Final Report—Milwaukee High Intensity Street Lighting Project. Milwaukee, WI: Dep. Intergov. Fiscal Liaison
  30. Ditton J, Short E. 1999. Yes, it works, no, it doesn't: comparing the effects of open-street CCTV in two adjacent Scottish town centres. See Painter & Tilley 1999 371–403
  31. Donnelly PG, Kimble CE. 1997. Community organizing, environmental change, and neighborhood crime. Crime Delinq. 43:493–511 [Google Scholar]
  32. Eck JE. 2006. Preventing crime at places. Evidence-Based Crime Prevention LW Sherman, DP Farrington, BC Welsh, DL MacKenzie 241–94 New York: Routledge. Revis., ed.. [Google Scholar]
  33. Ekblom P. 2008. Designing products against crime. Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis R Wortley, L Mazerolle 195–220 Cullompton, UK: Willan [Google Scholar]
  34. Farrington DP, Gill M, Waples SJ, Argomaniz J. 2007. The effects of closed-circuit television on crime: meta-analysis of an English national quasi-experimental multi-site evaluation. J. Exp. Criminol. 3:21–38 [Google Scholar]
  35. Garland D. 2000. Ideas, institutions and situational crime prevention. Ethical and Social Perspectives on Situational Crime Prevention A von Hirsch, D Garland, A Wakefield 1–16 Oxford, UK: Hart [Google Scholar]
  36. Gerrard G, Thompson R. 2011. Two million cameras in the UK. CCTV Image 42:10–12 [Google Scholar]
  37. Gill M, Spriggs A. 2005. Assessing the impact of CCTV Home Off. Res. Study No. 292, Home Off., London
  38. Graham K. 2009. They fight because we let them! Applying a situational crime prevention model to barroom violence. Drug Alcohol Rev. 28:103–9 [Google Scholar]
  39. Grandmaison R, Tremblay P. 1997. Evaluation des effets de la tele-surveillance sur la criminalite commise dans 13 stations du Metro de Montreal. Criminologie 30:93–110 [Google Scholar]
  40. Griffiths M. 2003. Town centre CCTV: An examination of crime reduction in Gillingham, Kent Unpubl. undergrad. diss., Univ. Reading, UK
  41. Harcourt BE. 2001. Illusion of Order: The False Promise of Broken Windows Policing Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press
  42. Harcourt BE, Ludwig J. 2006. Broken windows: new evidence from New York City and a five-city social experiment. Univ. Chicago Law Rev. 73:271–320 [Google Scholar]
  43. Harrisburg Police Dep 1976. Final Evaluation Report of the ‘High Intensity Street Lighting Program Harrisburg, PA: Plan. Res. Sect., Staff Tech. Serv. Div., Harrisburg Police Dep.
  44. Hesseling R. 1995. Theft from cars: Reduced or displaced?. Eur. J Crim. Policy Res. 3:79–92 [Google Scholar]
  45. Hier SP. 2010. Panoptic Dreams: Streetscape Video Surveillance in Canada Vancouver: Univ. B.C. Press
  46. Hier SP, Walby K. 2014. Policy mutations, compliance myths, and redeployable special event public camera surveillance in Canada. Sociology 48:150–66 [Google Scholar]
  47. Hood J. 2003. Closed circuit television systems: A failure in risk communication?. J. Risk Res. 6:233–51 [Google Scholar]
  48. Inskeep NR, Goff C. 1974. A Preliminary Evaluation of the Portland Lighting Project Salem, OR: Or. Law Enforc. Counc.
  49. Jacobs J. 1961. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House
  50. Kelling GL, Coles CM. 1996. Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities New York: Simon and Schuster
  51. La Vigne NG, Lowry SS. 2011. Evaluation of Camera Use to Prevent Crime in Commuter Parking Facilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial Washington, DC: Urban Inst.
  52. Lasley J. 1998. “Designing out” gang homicides and street assaults Res. Brief, Nov., Natl. Inst. Justice, US Dep. Justice, Washington, DC
  53. Laycock G, Austin C. 1992. Crime prevention in parking facilities. Secur. J. 3:154–60 [Google Scholar]
  54. Lewis EB, Sullivan TT. 1979. Combating crime and citizen attitudes: a case study of the corresponding reality. J. Crim. Justice 7:71–79 [Google Scholar]
  55. Lorenc T, Petticrew M, Whitehead M, Neary D, Clayton S. et al. 2013. Environmental interventions to reduce fear of crime: systematic review of effectiveness. Syst. Rev. 2:1–10 [Google Scholar]
  56. Mayhew P, Clarke RV, Burrows JN, Hough JM, Winchester SWC. 1979. Crime in public view Res. Study No. 49, Her Majesty's Station. Off., London
  57. Mazerolle L, Hurley DC, Chamlin M. 2002. Social behavior in public space: an analysis of behavioral adaptations to CCTV. Secur. J. 15:59–75 [Google Scholar]
  58. Musheno MC, Levine JP, Palumbo DJ. 1978. Television surveillance and crime prevention: evaluating an attempt to create defensible space in public housing. Soc. Sci. Q. 58:647–56 [Google Scholar]
  59. Newman O. 1972. Defensible Space: Crime Prevention through Urban Design New York: Macmillan
  60. Norris C, Armstrong G. 1999. The Maximum Surveillance Society: The Rise of CCTV Oxford, UK: Berg
  61. Norris C, McCahill M. 2006. CCTV: Beyond penal modernism?. Br. J. Criminol. 46:97–118 [Google Scholar]
  62. Painter KA. 1996. Street lighting, crime and fear of crime: a summary of research. Preventing Crime and Disorder: Targeting Strategies and Responsibilities TH Bennett 313–51 Cambridge, UK: Inst. Criminol., Univ. Cambridge [Google Scholar]
  63. Painter KA, Farrington DP. 1997. The crime reducing effect of improved street lighting: the Dudley project. Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies RV Clarke 209–26 Guilderland, NY: Harrow and Heston, 2nd ed.. [Google Scholar]
  64. Painter KA, Farrington DP. 1999. Street lighting and crime: diffusion of benefits in the Stoke-on-Trent project. See Painter & Tilley 1999 77–122
  65. Painter KA, Farrington DP. 2001. The financial benefits of improved street lighting based on crime reduction. Light. Res. Technol. 33:3–12 [Google Scholar]
  66. Painter KA, Tilley N, eds. 1999. Surveillance of Public Space: CCTV, Street Lighting and Crime Prevention. Crime Prevention Studies 10 Monsey, NY: Crim. Justice Press
  67. Pease K. 1999. A review of street lighting evaluations: crime reduction effects. See Painter & Tilley 1999 47–76
  68. Petrosino A, Boruch RF, Soydan H, Duggan L, Sanchez-Meca J. 2001. Meeting the challenges of evidence-based policy: the Campbell Collaboration. Ann. Am. Acad. Polit. Soc. Sci. 578:14–34 [Google Scholar]
  69. Poyner B. 1991. Situational crime prevention in two parking facilities. Secur. J. 2:96–101 [Google Scholar]
  70. Poyner B, Webb B. 1997. Reducing theft from shopping bags in city center markets. Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies RV Clarke 83–89 Guilderland, NY: Harrow and Heston, 2nd. ed. [Google Scholar]
  71. Quinet KD, Nunn S. 1998. Illuminating crime: the impact of street lighting on calls for police service. Eval. Rev. 22:751–79 [Google Scholar]
  72. Ramsay M, Newton R. 1991. The effect of better street lighting on crime and fear: a review Crime Prevent. Unit Pap. No. 29, Home Off., London
  73. Ratcliffe JH. 2006. Video surveillance of public places Problem-Oriented Guides Police Response Guides Ser., No. 4, Off. Community Oriented Polic. Serv., US Dep. Justice, Washington, DC
  74. Reid AA, Andresen MA. 2014. An evaluation of CCTV in a car park using police and insurance data. Secur. J. 27:55–79 [Google Scholar]
  75. Rosenbaum DP, Lurigio AJ, Davis RC. 1998. The Prevention of Crime: Social and Situational Strategies Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
  76. Sampson RJ, Raudenbush SW. 2001. Disorder in urban neighborhoods—Does it lead to crime? Res. Brief, Jan., Natl. Inst. Justice, US Dep. Justice, Washington, DC
  77. Sampson RJ, Raudenbush SW, Earls F. 1997. Neighborhoods and violent crime: a multilevel study of collective efficacy. Science 277:918–24 [Google Scholar]
  78. Sarno C. 1996. The impact of closed circuit television on crime in Sutton town centre. Towards a Safer Sutton? CCTV One Year On M Bulos, D Grant 13–49 London: Lond. Borough Sutton [Google Scholar]
  79. Sarno C, Hough M, Bulos M. 1999. Developing a Picture of CCTV in Southwark Town Centres: Final Report London: South Bank Univ.
  80. Savage C. 2007. US doles out millions for street cameras: local efforts raise privacy concerns. Boston Globe Aug. 12
  81. Shaftoe H. 1994. Easton/Ashley, Bristol: lighting improvements. Housing Safe Communities: An Evaluation of Recent Initiatives S Osborn 72–77 London: Safe Neighb. Unit [Google Scholar]
  82. Sivarajasingam V, Shepherd JP, Matthews K. 2003. Effect of urban closed circuit television on assault injury and violence detection. Inj. Prev. 9:312–16 [Google Scholar]
  83. Skilton M. 1988. A Better Reception: The Development of Concierge Schemes London: Estate Action Dep. Environ.
  84. Skinns D. 1998. Doncaster CCTV Surveillance System: Second Annual Report of the Independent Evaluation Doncaster, UK: Fac. Bus. Prof. Stud., Doncaster Coll.
  85. Skogan WG. 1990. Disorder and Decline: Crime and the Spiral of Decay in American Neighborhoods. New York: Free Press
  86. Skogan WG. 2012. Disorder and crime. The Oxford Handbook of Crime Prevention BC Welsh, DP Farrington 173–88 New York: Oxford Univ. Press [Google Scholar]
  87. Smith MJ, Clarke RV. 2012. Situational crime prevention: classifying techniques using ‘good enough’ theory. The Oxford Handbook of Crime Prevention BC Welsh, DP Farrington 291–315 New York: Oxford Univ. Press [Google Scholar]
  88. Sternhell R. 1977. The limits of lighting: the New Orleans experiment in crime reduction Final Impact Eval. Rep., Mayor's Crim. Justice Coord. Counc., New Orleans, LA
  89. Taub RB, Taylor DG, Dunham JD. 1984. Paths of Neighborhood Change: Race and Crime in Urban America Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press
  90. Taylor RB. 2006. Incivilities reduction policing, zero tolerance, and the retreat from coproduction: weak foundations and strong pressures. Police Innovation: Contrasting Perspectives D Weisburd, AA Braga 98–116 New York: Cambridge Univ. Press [Google Scholar]
  91. Taylor RB, Gottfredson S. 1986. Environmental design, crime and prevention: an examination of community dynamics. Communities and Crime. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research 8 AJ Reiss Jr, M Tonry 387–416 Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press [Google Scholar]
  92. Tilley N. 1993. Understanding car parks, crime and CCTV: evaluation lessons from Safer Cities Crime Prevent. Unit Ser. Pap. No. 42, Home Off., London
  93. von Hirsch A. 2000. The ethics of public television surveillance. Ethical and Social Perspectives on Situational Crime Prevention A von Hirsch, D Garland, A Wakefield 59–76 Oxford, UK: Hart [Google Scholar]
  94. Wagner AE. 1997. A study of traffic pattern modifications in an urban crime prevention program. J. Crim. Justice 25:19–30 [Google Scholar]
  95. Wakefield A. 2003. Selling Security: The Private Policing of Public Space Cullompton, UK: Willan
  96. Webb B, Laycock G. 1992. Reducing crime on the London Underground: an evaluation of three pilot projects Crime Prevent. Unit Ser. Pap. No. 30, Home Off., London
  97. Welsh BC, Farrington DP. 2004. Surveillance for crime prevention in public space: results and policy choices in Britain and America. Criminol. Public Policy 3:497–526 [Google Scholar]
  98. Welsh BC, Farrington DP. 2008. Effects of improved street lighting on crime. Campbell Syst. Rev. 2008:13 doi: 10.4073/csr.2008.13 [Google Scholar]
  99. Welsh BC, Farrington DP. 2009a. Making Public Places Safer: Surveillance and Crime Prevention New York: Oxford Univ. Press
  100. Welsh BC, Farrington DP. 2009b. Public area CCTV and crime prevention: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Justice Q. 26:716–45 [Google Scholar]
  101. Welsh BC, Farrington DP. 2014. CCTV and crime prevention. Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice 2 GJN Bruinsma, D Weisburd 310–19 New York: Springer [Google Scholar]
  102. Welsh BC, Farrington DP, Gowar BR. 2015. Benefit-cost analysis of crime prevention programs. Crime and Justice: A Review of Research 44 M Tonry Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press [Google Scholar]
  103. Welsh BC, Mudge ME, Farrington DP. 2010. Reconceptualizing public area surveillance and crime prevention: security guards, place managers and defensible space. Secur. J. 23:299–319 [Google Scholar]
  104. Williams KS, Johnstone C. 2000. The politics of the selective gaze: closed circuit television and the policing of public space. Crime Law Soc. Change 34:183–210 [Google Scholar]
  105. Wilson JQ, Kelling GL. 1982. Broken windows: the police and neighborhood safety. Atlantic Monthly March 29–38
  106. Winge S, Knutsson J. 2003. An evaluation of the CCTV scheme at Oslo central railway station. Crime Prev. Community Saf. 5:49–59 [Google Scholar]
  107. Wright R, Heilweil M, Pelletier P, Dickinson K. 1974. The Impact of Street Lighting on Crime Ann Arbor: Univ. Mich.
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-120814-121649
Loading
Effectiveness and Social Costs of Public Area Surveillance for Crime Prevention
Annual Review of Law and Social Science 11, 111 (2015); https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-120814-121649
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-120814-121649
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-lawsocsci-120814-121649
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Review Article

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error