Evaluating CCTV: Why the findings are inconsistent, inconclusive and ultimately irrelevant

• DOI: 10.1057/cpcs.2010.13
• Publication Date: 2010-10-25T07:53:02Z
• Authors: Emmeline Taylor
• Keywords: 05 social sciences; 11. Sustainability; 0509 other social sciences; 16. Peace & justice

CCTV is widely acknowledged to be ubiquitous in British urban areas. However, despite its proliferation, there remains no concrete and certifiable evidence suggest that it the panacea myriad problems has been introduced tackle. The expansion of continued unperturbed by tentative, contradictory, even negative evaluation findings often produced. Despite reservations about quality methodological soundness studies those involved evaluation, inconsistency results were considered competently professionally conducted, consecutive governments have celebrate supposed effectiveness. This article critiques doctrine dominated evaluations outlines how resulted an approach overlooks qualitative impact CCTV, ignores possibility individuals other than offenders may affected camera's gaze; presumes only significant (and thereby worthy evaluating) on crime rates. historically taken evaluate just as important illuminating inconclusiveness themselves. will outline why from these are inconsistent, inconclusive ultimately irrelevant.