Perpetuity Research & Consultancy International (PRCI) Ltd Is CCTV working? The effectiveness of CCTV and the British experience Professor Martin Gill

Martin Gill  Director of PRCI  Professor of Criminology at the University of Leicester  11 Books and over 100 articles  Fellow of The Security Institute, member of ASIS International, RSMF, Security Guild

Our Objectives  To undertake top quality research work  To provide practical outputs for those working at the sharp end  To give advice and recommendations based on evidence  To conduct first class evaluations

Our Research  Are security guards effective?  What drives illicit markets?  What causes indiscipline in schools?  How do shop thieves steal?  Are robberies preventable?  What causes false alarms?  Does CCTV work?

What is CCTV How does a CCTV system work? How does a CCTV system work? –Analogue versus digital –Fixed, redeployable, mobile –Open, closed, covert –Static and pan, tilt, zoom How are images transferred? How are images transferred?

Where is CCTV located? Cities and towns Cities and towns Car parks Car parks Within and outside organisations Within and outside organisations Residential areas Residential areas Within private homes Within private homes

How is CCTV implemented Bidding for money, how many cameras? Bidding for money, how many cameras? Project management Project management Engaging stakeholders Engaging stakeholders Third parties Third parties Design and technology Design and technology

The Control Room What is a control room? What is a control room? How are images assessed? How are images assessed? –Monitoring behaviour Where are control rooms located? How do they operate? How do they operate? Who controls them? Who controls them? How are images managed? How are images managed?

Issues and CCTV Technology Technology Civil liberties Civil liberties Public support Public support Police support Police support

Research on CCTV Most focus has been on static systems Most focus has been on static systems Previous research is often weak Previous research is often weak Concerns about methodologies used Concerns about methodologies used Conclusions inconclusive Conclusions inconclusive Most optimism is for CCTV in car parks Most optimism is for CCTV in car parks

New Ways of looking at what works  Understand the offenders’ perspective, originally robbers now other thieves  Prison based interviews  Focus groups  Simulating thefts and conducting penetration tests  Experimental designs and realist evaluations

Pinhole Camera  A pinhole camera is attached to shop thieves and they are then sent off around stores to simulate thefts  The pictures provide a ‘thief’s eye’ view of situations and how they can be exploited  The thieves provide a commentary explaining how they are able to circumvent security loopholes

Assessing risk Our aim has been to develop a better method of assessing risk by looking at offenders’ risk assessment Our aim has been to develop a better method of assessing risk by looking at offenders’ risk assessment Understanding what measures work in what circumstances is crucial Understanding what measures work in what circumstances is crucial Understanding the reasons why is important Understanding the reasons why is important

How do offenders assess risk? Consider the various points they may make decisions at Consider the various points they may make decisions at Consider why they do so and the decisions affecting them Consider why they do so and the decisions affecting them Develop a response Develop a response

Assessing Impact What is CCTV supposed to impact on and why? What is CCTV supposed to impact on and why? Understanding Context, Mechanism and Outcome Understanding Context, Mechanism and Outcome

Proposed mechanisms by which CCTV may impact on theft 1.CCTV may give staff more confidence to approach suspects 1.CCTV may give staff more confidence to approach suspects 2.CCTV may decrease staff vigilance as they begin to rely on it 2.CCTV may decrease staff vigilance as they begin to rely on it 3.CCTV may be used as a management tool to increase customer satisfaction 3.CCTV may be used as a management tool to increase customer satisfaction 4. CCTV may allow the effective deployment of staff to areas where suspicious behaviour is occurring 4. CCTV may allow the effective deployment of staff to areas where suspicious behaviour is occurring

Mechanisms 5.CCTV may aid identification of trouble spots within a store or community 5.CCTV may aid identification of trouble spots within a store or community 6.CCTV may cause an increased actual rate of being caught 6.CCTV may cause an increased actual rate of being caught 7.CCTV pictures may be used as evidence for prosecution of offenders 7.CCTV pictures may be used as evidence for prosecution of offenders 8.CCTV may decrease sales if customers dislike a store’s surveillance 8.CCTV may decrease sales if customers dislike a store’s surveillance

Mechanisms 9.CCTV may increase sales if customers feel that the store is and safe and secure place to shop. Similarly with town and city centres 9.CCTV may increase sales if customers feel that the store is and safe and secure place to shop. Similarly with town and city centres 10.CCTV may cause an increased perceived risk of being caught 10.CCTV may cause an increased perceived risk of being caught 11.The offender may move to other areas of the store where they feel they are less visible to the CCTV 11.The offender may move to other areas of the store where they feel they are less visible to the CCTV 12.The presence of signs advertising CCTV operation symbolise efforts to take crime seriously and may influence the offenders’ perceptions of risk 12.The presence of signs advertising CCTV operation symbolise efforts to take crime seriously and may influence the offenders’ perceptions of risk

CCTV Effectiveness What is meant by effectiveness, what are the objectives? What is meant by effectiveness, what are the objectives? The scheme design, implementation, stakeholder involvement, control room operations and procedures, relationship with the police all have an impact The scheme design, implementation, stakeholder involvement, control room operations and procedures, relationship with the police all have an impact In what conditions is the scheme operating, what is the context? In what conditions is the scheme operating, what is the context?

Perceptions Around the world there is scepticism Around the world there is scepticism In UK, the public are very supportive In UK, the public are very supportive The police have a mixed attitude but mostly good The police have a mixed attitude but mostly good Offenders say it will not put them off, unless they have been caught! Offenders say it will not put them off, unless they have been caught!

CCTV as a Prevention Tool Does security work? Does security work? What makes a good risk assessment? What makes a good risk assessment? What makes for good prevention? What makes for good prevention? What more do we need to learn? What more do we need to learn? What do we need to do to make CCTV effective? What do we need to do to make CCTV effective?

Summary  There is a lot we can learn from different types of evaluations  We can greatly improve the effectiveness of security measures  We are helping organisations to better assess risks and implement better and more cost-effective solutions

Perpetuity Research & Consultancy International (PRCI) Ltd Professor Martin Gill Director Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International Ltd (PRCI)