DETECTING POTENTIAL GUN CRIME BEFORE IT OCCURS: THE ROLE OF CCTV

摘要

CCTV is prevalent in the UK and has an important role to play in crime reduction. With regard to gun crime it could also play a key role in detecting this type of crime before an event occurs. An initial study is reported which examines the type of training that CCTV operators receive to aid their detection of crime. In the UK, CCTV operators can be trained by several companies to two standards, either the Certificate or the BTEC award in CCTV operation. Each type of training course was examined and the amount of time allocated to visual examination of CCTV imagery - particularly for potential gun crime detailed. Additionally, several different police and local authority CCTV control rooms were studied in detail for real world performance information. Individual CCTV managers were interviewed and CCTV operators' behaviour monitored to elicit what features they commonly look for in ascertaining potential criminal behaviour. Control rooms are very complex visual environments and the operators must use their own judgement as to what they visually attend to and follow up. There is currently little in the established formal training that would aid operators in detecting gun crime.