The global market for electronic security equipment for city surveillance will more than double from 2012 to 2017, driven in part by the adoption of mobile technology.
By 2017, wireless infrastructure and CCTV and video surveillance equipment used for city security will reach just over $3.2 billion in worldwide sales, up from $1.4 billion in 2012, according to “Vertical Insights — Video Surveillance and Security in City Surveillance — World — 2013 Edition”, a report just released by IMS Research (now part of IHS Inc.). That translates into compound annual growth rate of 17.8 percent over the five-year period.
Police departments are using city surveillance in an effort to reduce crime. Paul Bremner, market analyst for Safe Cities and Security Services at IHS, commented in a press release:
City video surveillance systems have a key requirement to provide clear, useable images so that police departments can conduct effective investigations when needed. If the video surveillance system can’t do that, then it is failing in its primary purpose.
The growth that IHS predicts for this market is robust, but believable. A quick glance at current news shows copious examples of metro surveillance. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (DC) announced plans to increase that number of surveillance cameras from 1,900 to nearly 6,000, the Washington Examiner reported. The project, which will be completed this year, will cost $6.5 million to install cameras in six rail cars and build the supporting network to allow law enforcement to monitor the subway system for illegal activities.
Currently, the use of on-the-go video surveillance in particular is on the rise. By monitoring video surveillance feeds from a mobile command center, metro police are able to manage large metro centers and address incidents quickly and efficiently.
Take, for example, the Evanston Police Department, which recently invested in an armored surveillance vehicle outfitted with six video cameras. Bremner said:
Emerging technology can send the video to police officers on the street, streaming that video directly to the smartphones or laptops in their patrol cars. Such mobile surveillance technology will act as a force multiplier for the officers on the ground.
The cameras provide a live feed of the truck’s surroundings to either the station or the field. The truck can be parked in order to monitor for disturbances, while simultaneously creating a police presence.
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I’ve often wondered this, does a network of cameras really prevent crime or do they make crimes easier to solve? Is it a matter of people not committing crimes because they know they are being watched or is it a matter of police forces being able to more clearly see where attention is needed most? I think that surveillance in specific areas is very helpful but it is more useful as a learning tool, evidence gather tool and a data collection device than it is for preventing crime in the first place.
@Mike Clauss – That maybe an interesting bit of info to look at. I am sure you could look at historical data and see if the presence of cameras lowered crime or just caused it to move to a new location. The ability to rapidly respond to incidents where video is available has been proven again and again but the question still does linger do cameras prevent crime…
@Mike Clauss, i supsect it’s the latter. Criminals, by definition, are marked by the inability to link actions and consequences. Isuspect even a video camera won’t fix that. I read a study done last year by San Francisco that found that the presence of cameras didn’t deter crime. I bet there’s also a cultural aspect. in the UK, where it’s uibquitous, i bet there is more awareness of the chance of being caught overall. I know here, as people get used to the presence of traffic cameras that take pictures of those who run through red lights, that people do… Read more »
@Johnathan Selin:I don’t think it has lowered the criminal activities but surely many criminal cases have sorted out.
@Mike Clauss – I doubt that the amount of crimes will drop when you have cameras installed. But you could definitely act as a proof and help the authorities take action.
@Jonathan Lipscomb – having cameras will not reduce the rate of crimes considerable, but at least it will bring in a thought to the criminals mind that they are being monitored.
Jonathan you are right. I feel that if you place a playcard at your store and write a line “you are being watched”. The crime rate is likely to fall till the time people find it out that its fake or otherwise if you catch few of the culprits. The theifs or thefts will definitely likely to shift to other places.
The UK was exactly where I was thinking, they have had extensive camera systems for some time and you still hear about crimes caught on those cameras. I think it was last year that a video of a violent purse snatching was big on the news. I was shocked to see that it happened in very clear view of a camera. I’m sure she felt safer thinking that the area was monitored but the thief didn’t seem to care.
interesting and sad…. almost the same problem we have in Canada… criminals using guns in public places… not worried of the security cameras… sacarry and sad… as this days even at public places like shoping mals you no longer safe and secure…
I have to disagree… as in my local city in the little mall we have a small retailer selling cellphone’s and add ons… – it got robbed in the view of the camera… criminal got arrested… but in the court he ask the judge if CA could prove it… to him it he is on the video and not someone else… blaiming shopkeeper for not locking disply cases… as shopekeeper put trust in the security camera…
interesting point/question but we are humans, and one of our traits is ability to adaptability… adapt and change… criminals are the same at first we would see crime rate decline… until they adapt/figure out the way…
Humans have already found a way to adapt to the the presence of security cameras and that is the same way they have avoided identification for centuries, disguise. I will admit sometimes they are rediculous but then again some of them are very effective.
yes, you are right, good point… could not agree more…
Then again some are more intelligent than others…
http://www.dailymail.com/policebrfs/201307010039