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The argument is never settled definitively just how much crime surveillance cameras prevent.
What is discussed arguably less often is whether cameras actually just displace, rather than prevent, crime, and the apprehension of criminals in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, has suggested that it does.
A gang of robbers operating on the rural outskirts of the city told police they steered clear of urban areas because of the 4,000 surveillance cameras installed around what has been dubbed India’s first ‘CCTV City’. All six members of the gang were apprehended by the police.
Figures shared by Lucknow police also support the theory of displaced crime, where reduced criminal activity could be attributed to fear of CCTV cameras. While a spike in theft and robbery cases has been reported in rural police stations a drop in such incidents has been logged within the city’s jurisdiction.
Officer-in-charge of surveillance sub-inspector Anurag Mishra said: “The gang confessed to have committed two dozen crimes in past four months across Lucknow, Sitapur, Hardoi and Unnao.
“They did not hesitate to loot people in main markets in neighbouring districts but preferred to strike only on the outskirts.”
The gang members told police they have noted media reports where police caught criminals based on the high-tech CCTV camera surveillance network in Lucknow. Other criminal gangs have also become wise to the dange, something reflected in falling crime rates in the city.
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Crime Gang’s Admission Suggests Widespread Urban CCTV is Displacing Crime to Rural AreasA gang of robbers operating on the rural outskirts of the city told police they steered clear of urban areas because of the 4,000 surveillance cameras installed around what has been dubbed India's first 'CCTV City'.
Bhavesh Kumar
IFSEC Insider | Security and Fire News and Resources
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