Spy cameras on the streets good or bad?

Liverpool lampposts are being adorned with brand new, highly advanced gadgetry. "What kind of gadgetry?" you may wonder.

The answer is: a new generation of extra-discrete, small cameras that are going to be used for spying on motorists. Images from the cameras will be transferred to high-tech vans that have been christened "Gizmo Wagons", which is very apt considering that as well as processing images, they also have the ability to film motorists over a mile away.

Once the images are received by the vans, they will be scrutinised by police for evidence of even the slightest offences. Motorists seen throwing cigarette butts out of car windows, making illegal turns or venturing into the bus lane will have the number plates on their car analysed by automatic recognition software.

The offender will then be given a fine or penalty notice for their motoring misdemeanour either on the spot or through the post.

Some of the driving population welcome this technology with open arms. Rather than being restricted to catching people who drive too fast as speed cameras are, this new generation of cameras will be able to identify all kinds of offences, ranging from cars being driven without the proper motor insurance to minor parking transgressions.

As such, they represent a new level of control for the police. These permanent eyes can be situated all over the city in spots that are notorious for motoring offences taking place, allowing the law to be tightly enforced.

The consequences for the law abiding people of Liverpool should be positive. It is expected that crime levels will drop as drivers learn that their offences are going to be recorded on film for police perusal. If the number of crimes does fall as a result of these tiny cameras then so should motor insurance rates for drivers with spotless records.

With fewer people dropping rubbish out their car windows, Liverpool streets will be cleaner and tidier, creating a more pleasant environment for residents of the city. Citizens can also enjoy smoother-flowing roads and, hopefully, fewer road accidents caused by parked cars and drivers making illegal turns.

However, not everyone is happy about these little cameras being subtly affixed to lampposts around the city. The first group of those who dislike them are those who are disgruntled because they have been caught out and have had to pay a fine or have had a conviction as a result. While it is natural for these people to think badly of the cameras, they really shouldn't have committed the offence in the first place.

The small size and innocuous positioning of the cameras are of a worry to these motorists who have been caught. Usually, speed cameras are highly visible and drivers get plenty of warning to slow down and obey the limit. However, these tiny cameras don't offer any blatant advertisement of their position and motorists won't know when they are being recorded, which many find an affront to their rights.

Many people think that the number of CCTV cameras in the UK (4.2 million at the last count) is terribly excessive. There is a growing body of discomforted Brits who feel that our society is becoming more and more like the nightmarish "1984" where everything and everyone is recorded.

Despite the obvious benefits of more surveillance cameras, such as a decreased crime rate, some people feel that these do not outweigh the downsides that come with compromising privacy. Personal information is closely guarded by many and the monitoring of people's coming and going that is a by-product of watching for criminals does not sit well with those who value privacy.

Whether or not you support the introduction of this new breed of camera, it seems that they have been very successful in Liverpool. Over one hundred vehicles were seized in just two days for car insurance and road tax violations, as well as other paperwork offences. If they prove to have continued success, people all over the UK could soon see little cameras appearing on lampposts near them.

 

 

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