CCTV surveillance: pros and cons

Hello John, as agreed, my point of view on CCTV surveillance.

You can easily divide pros and cons when it comes to surveillance. However, I think the pros outnumber the cons.

At night, everything gets creepier I think. You get more nervous, and you get scared of meeting someone on the street, whether they’re homeless, drunk or a gang. People are more often drunk at night, so it’s riskier to move around when it gets late, because people can’t control themselves. Also weapons are used more often at night, because people are drunk, so they don’t think, and they act stupid, because they get angry or are affected by their friends and feel the need to prove something to them. It has been proved that surveillance at night reduces the use of weapons, and therefore the night life becomes less risky and safer. Surveillance helps the police to catch people who don’t obey the law. The police can watch several parts of the town to see what’s going on and with it be on the alert. I believe that with that knowledge, the citizens feel safe.

A lot of houses are fitted with a surveillance camera and a burglar alarm, including my house. For me, it’s a matter of safety and the right to feel safe at home. No one is allowed to steal, so if they do, they ought to be punished. I wouldn’t mind if it at a later date will become mandatory to install surveillance cameras and alarms. I actually think it should be mandatory already, because it would help improving the chances of catching burglars and unwelcome guests.