Does CCTV Really Cut Crime?

We’re strong advocates for using CCTV cameras as a means of protecting your property, but it seems we’re not the only ones. 

Figures from 2020 reported that even then there were some 5.2 million CCTV cameras in the UK. More recent figures released by the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) suggest that that figure has risen to 7.2 million in the four years since.

That’s one camera for every eleven people, so clearly a lot of people think they’re a good tool for cutting crime – but do the statistics actually support that view? 

The Scutum North team is here to answer all your questions!

Do CCTV cameras actually cut crime?

The simple answer is that yes, the mere presence of CCTV cameras can help reduce crime – and there have been studies that show that it could be by as much as 13%. Even more impressive, that figure rises to 34% when cameras are backed up by other security systems.

These figures come from a major analysis that was reported by the College of Policing.

This study looked at the effectiveness of CCTV cameras across the world. Interestingly, it showed that CCTV has proved more effective in the UK than in many other countries included in the study, such as the USA and South Korea.

The study concluded that CCTV cameras on their own led directly to an overall reduction in the level of crime by 13%, although certain types of crimes were affected more than others. For instance, drug-related crime dropped by 20%, while vehicle and property crime was reduced by 14%.

CCTV cameras in car parks came out of the study as being the most effective of all, with an impressive 37% decrease in crime as a result of their installation.

The study further found that backing up CCTV cameras with active security system monitoring led to 15% less crime than using cameras without it. And using multiple complementary security solutions, such as monitoring, lighting and fencing, helped turn that overall 13% reduction in crime into a 37% decrease. It also showed that the more cameras you have, the bigger the reduction in crime that is likely to follow.

So, having shown that CCTV cameras do actually cut crime, it’s worth exploring why that would be the case.

How can CCTV cameras cut crime?

There are several ways in which having CCTV cameras protecting your commercial premises can affect the behaviour of those considering committing a crime there. These include:

• Increasing the fear of being caught – Probably the most straightforward reason. Those considering committing a crime are less likely to press ahead with their plans somewhere they think poses a greater risk of being detected.
• Making the public feel safer – People feel safer when they know the place they are in is protected. That in turn means that they are more likely to use that space – especially at night – and the more people there are in an area, the less chance there is for a potential criminal to actually commit a crime.
• The presence of CCTV cameras –  signals the potential of criminal activity to members of the public, and this is likely to encourage us to take greater precautions than we might otherwise do, which can further reduce opportunities for potential criminals.

Here at Scutum North, we supply, install and maintain CCTV cameras and other security systems for businesses and organisations across a number of sectors in the north of England, including in and around Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield.

If you’d like to improve the security at your commercial premises, ask us for a free site visit to assess your existing security and for a free quotation that we’ll aim to be less than any other quote you get.

Call us now to find out more and book an appointment with one of our experienced security professionals.