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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Is smart CCTV really that smart?

I am a bit sceptical about smart CCTV which it is claimed can track terrorists. For example, it is supposed to detect unusual behaviour like an individual moving against the general crowd flow. However, some years ago I was struck by the fact that I was going against the flow at Preston Station. Commuters were coming into town to work as I was leaving for Leeds having just been released from prison having served 15 months for robbery. There is nothing unusual about going in a different direction.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are a witty fellow! I assume it was deprecating irony that made you doubt the efficacy of the CCTV that would have spotted the odd behaviour of a convicted robber!

Anonymous said...

It seems doubtful to me. The system would have to be 'taught' to recognise exceptional behaviour in a particular context, and this is likely to be easiest where the available 'legitimate' actions in the context are highly restricted. So, for example, multi-storey car parks might be easier than many other venues because they're pretty well down to going to car, coming from car, and not being able to find car (which is the tricky one).

Note that the story gives graffiti on railway carriage, there/not there, as an example. I suspect this was offered by the manufacturer because it's one of the ones they're sure they can actually do.

Anonymous said...

WhAT the F+*k would thE SysTEM MaKE of somE poOr soD WItH TOuREtTes syNDrOMe?

Anonymous said...

David Duff said...

Or the tv footage of vandals kicking the shit out of my property which the police said would not be allowed in a court of law due to the fact that I had not asked the arseholes permission to film them committing the crime.

Shut up.

Anonymous said...

Seems to me that CCTV does not prevent crime very much at all.

CCTV seems to have a part in solving crime.

Boys and Girls in Blue actually plodding the streets fulfill both roles and make for a better society. They are also much more able to spot and react to "unusual behaviour" than Orwellian CCTV.