Sean Carney's Website

Bruce Schneier has an excellent article on security cameras at CNN.

On January 19, a team of at least 15 people assassinated Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Dubai police released video footage of 11 of them. Although it was obviously a very professional operation, the 27 minutes of video is fascinating in its banality.

Team members walk through the airport, check into and out of hotels, get into and out of taxis. They make no effort to hide themselves from the cameras, sometimes seeming to stare directly into them. They obviously don't care that they're being recorded, and -- in fact -- the cameras didn't prevent the assassination, nor as far as we know have they helped as yet in identifying the killers.

Pervasive security cameras don't substantially reduce crime. This fact has been demonstrated repeatedly: in San Francisco, California, public housing; in a New York apartment complex; in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; in Washington; in study after study in both the U.S. and the U.K. Nor are they instrumental in solving many crimes after the fact.

Reading this I am curious how many crimes the ten police operated security cameras in downtown Winnipeg have prevented, or even how many crimes were solved with the assistance of the cameras. I've never really been a fan of the cameras, so I am interested to hear what the city has to say in March when they are to review the cameras effectiveness. Hopefully we can get rid of the cameras and put the money where it will actually have a larger impact.