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Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveillance
Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveillance
Video surveillance is everywhere. Regardless of whether there are people watching, you can always bet you’re being recorded. No matter where you go, you always see people with some type of surveillance, whether it be a cell phone, home surveillance system, or for professional use. Surveillance is immeasurable considering it has grown such a significant amount over the years, and its becoming quite effective in helping law enforcement. Although the majority of us benefit from surveillance, this technology has both advantages and disadvantages. First of all, there are people all over the world with cellphones trying to record a video to go viral, which can be good considering that without police presence, a bystander can record a crime and turn it over to police as evidence. Like so many other social media users, I’ve seen so many videos with millions of views that were recorded with one thing in mind: People are looking to get famous. Some of these videos are unbelievable and hard to watch, especially when they involve people getting seriously hurt. With this in mind, everyone having a cell phone, you’d think a potential criminal would see a camera and fear being caught, but that’s not always the case. A recent incident in Pennsylvania shows how this can play out in real life. According to NBC News, “For more than 40 minutes, a woman was harassed by a stranger on a public transit train in Philadelphia and then raped while bystanders held up their cellphones, seemingly to record the assault, police said.” The attack happened on the city’s transit system, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA. The incident led to calls from police urging the public “to be our partners and to watch out for other riders” after officials said passengers did not physically intervene or call 911.” Although this man was arrested, it is troubling that no one intervened before the damage had already been done. Another downside of constant surveillance is that someone’s image can be documented without their consent and perhaps shared without their knowledge. Each state has its own laws but in Indiana, the question of whether taking video of a conversation without the other person’s permission is allowed depends in part upon the location. In the past, courts have ruled there isn’t a reasonable expectation of privacy when a conversation is being held in public. This is why so many videos of misconduct are taken in public places. However, once the conversation enters a private space, the rules may differ. Secondly, residents have home surveillance systems to monitor things when they aren’t home, or to watch outside their homes, catching porch pirates in the act for example. Many criminals keep their eye on the prize rather than looking to see if a home has a camera. These cameras can capture a visible description of the perpetrator, which can help law enforcement identify the suspects. Also, if a crime has been committed in your neighborhood, your camera could possibly catch the make and model of a car or even capture a license plate number. We have a program in place at the Noblesville Police Department here in Indiana called the Video Surveillance Access Program, where the NPD partners with businesses and private residents who provide video footage from privately installed camera systems to identify suspects and vehicles involved in active criminal investigations. You fill out an online form so they can keep track of where the cameras are located. NPD would then know that the person or business is open to sharing surveillance footage to aid in their investigations, if necessary. If they are investigating a crime where recorded video could play a role, the department will reach out to you for access to your system. If needed, officers can assist you with recovery of the video. I spoke with Deputy Chief Jason Voyak from the NPD and he states; “NPD also partners in an app offered by a major video doorbell company. What that allows is for us to put a reasonable Geo Fence around an area where a crime has occurred and send out a message to those doorbells within that perimeter through the app asking for any assistance with our investigation. If someone then feels compelled they can check their cameras and see if there might be footage contained within that can aid our investigation. They would then share it with us by their own volition.” “There have been numerous incidents in which camera footage has been instrumental in the solving of crimes. NPD has used footage as evidence where actual crimes were committed on camera, or neighbors’ cameras have captured vehicles or people coming to or leaving crime scenes. There have even been times when we have been reviewing footage during a search warrant for cameras and have incidentally found evidence of other crimes that have occurred within the home. Although I can’t be specific, suffice it to say that private surveillance cameras and interactive doorbells have become a mainstay during criminal investigations. They are a very valuable resource for law enforcement and that will only continue to expand in future years with the advancement of technology.” On the other hand, a home surveillance can be used against law enforcement, which can be very dangerous. This can be done by alerting the home owner/suspect of police presence, capturing images of the officer’s faces, and allowing the surveillance to give away their location around their home. “These incidents are used by law enforcement agencies nationally and globally to tailor training. New tactics are continually being employed to overcome counter surveillance. I don’t feel it appropriate to name some of the specific measures officers are taking to accomplish this, but measures are always being created, reviewed, and adapted in an effort to keep officers as safe as reasonably possible.” Deputy Chief Voyak said. Next, you can bet almost any business you go to will have surveillance to protect against vandalism, theft, or any ill-mannered incidents. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen on our police department’s social media photos of people that have committed crimes and they reach out to the public for help. This has really helped departments because when you have most of the county viewing a video or photo, someone is bound determine to identify the perpetrator and turn them in. Most importantly, we have dashboard cameras in police cruisers and body surveillance for police departments all across the country. These are beneficial to use to display what officers are doing. For example, everything from traffic stops to capturing interactions between police and citizens out in the field, especially when an officer is falsely accused of engaging in police brutality and other behaviors. While use of body-worn cameras can raise concerns about privacy and prejudice, growing interest in the technology may foretell a shift in how law enforcement and the public perceive police activity. It is favorable to be equipped with complete knowledge about any type of surveillance you are using in the field. Once you have weighed the odds of the unfavorable, choosing a camera that fulfills your needs and could be beneficial in the long run. ■
