Camden's Talking CCTV Cameras to Be Silenced
Say goodbye to those talking cameras.
Camden Council has announced that it will turn off the voice function on the controversial closed circuit television cameras capable of delivering a recorded message. An example of the cameras can be seen in the video 'Camden Council Robocop,' in which a resident shows the camera issuing a warning when he enters the communal gardens at the Walker House flats in Camden. The camera delivers the following message:
"Stop. This is a restricted area and your photograph is being taken. It will be sent for processing if you do not leave the area now."
The video, along with news that these cameras have begun showing up in certain parts of London, has stirred up quite a bit of controversy, with some claiming that the cameras don't have any place in modern-day Britain.
"This kind of technology may be acceptable in a police state or a science fiction film, but it is absolutely not in modern Britain," the Telegraph quotes Nick Pickles, of pressure group Big Brother Watch, as saying.
Camden Council said the cameras were put in place to target anti-social behaviour and drug-dealing. However, as the Telegraph reports, the Council has vowed to switch off the cameras voice-message feature as soon as possible.
"All flash cameras have the capacity to deliver voice messages when activated but in this instance it appears that voice messages were inadvertently activated when the camera batteries were replaced four to five weeks ago," the Council said. "We do not want to stop residents from enjoying their open spaces and communal areas and under no circumstances would we want voice messages to be used in areas where they may be disturbed. The voice messages will be deactivated as soon as possible."
Camden Council goes on to say that the flash camera on Walker House estate was installed in September of last year following 'an increasing number of concerns' from residents complaining about antisocial behaviour. Camden says it has received positive feedback from residents since the installation of the camera.
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cameras are just a way of policing without having to use police... they dont stop crime they dont reduce it. instead they just move it to another area. after a while the cameras have sprung up all over under the guise of public safety...
they do nothing other than give the government a way to watch you and they certainly dont keep you safe...
the medowell estate in north tyneside is a prime example of this. the kids will distract a camera by playing in front of it, while behind it the drug dealers work... you put to bobbys on the beat who can talk to these kids you end up with a community that over time will build a positive relationship with there local police and at the same time reduce crime and the cost associated with it...
cameras only give an illusion of saftey, but active community policing is the only way to bring crime down...
dont give in to the fears of the few...
Yeah, but what if you were a suspected felon? Then everything falls into place.
Dreadful blunder on Camden Councils part - really bad. There is more here too:
http://www.cctv.co.uk/residents-fu [...] in-camden/
Yeah, but what if you were a suspected felon? Then everything falls into place.
means nothing because a fellon (criminal) as you put it would cover there face, so again pointless. all your left with is a low quality image of a guy in a hoody... which will give the police a lead on 3-9million suspects...