Everyday in the papers you find more and more incidents of robbery and rape. Because of this, there has been a call for more CCTV security measures to be install at all public locations.

I don’t really see how this helps all that much.

Firstly a CCTV system HAS to be monitored and knowing most establishments, they’re probably only going to have an aging security guard staring at all the monitors (if at all). More often that not, the cameras that litter the place are duds and aren’t linked to any monitoring system.

Even if you did have a whole building wired up with CCTVs (I find this disturbingly creepy), there is no guarantee that it is a preventive measure. The only time people check up on security footage is normally ‘AFTER’ the crime has been committed. By then, a child has been raped and murdered or worse.

Insisting on CCTV systems everywhere does indeed help but for the most part, it is a false sense of security. People would relax if they believe they’re safely under watch and then fall prey to the criminal element out there. Banks and goldsmith shops all have camera systems, have you seen it deterring robbers? All you need is a good nylon stockings and you’ve already rendered a RM20,000 system useless. It’s not as though your system can sprout legs and start attacking the robbers (that would be a great idea).

Also would anyone like to work in an environment where all corridors and monitored and you’re watched by a pair of leering security guards. I doubt it.

For those out there, the only real security is being watchful, there is no substitute for that.

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