Airstud From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 1861 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (2 years 7 months 3 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 1023 times:
If the CCTV is monitoring public places, like shops, banks, and train stations, then the "privacy" hawks need to shut their yaps. For you see, public places are (everyone sitting down?) public.
The thing that worries me most about this is that it incentivizes people to sit on their butts watching a screen for a zillion hours. I'd like to see less of that sort of behavior in today's world.
Quokka From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (2 years 7 months 3 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 1017 times:
Very interesting to think that individuals will pay up to watch hours of largely boring CCTV footage on the off chance that they actually spot somebody pilfering a tin of baked beans or an imitation mink scarf. Presumably the shopkeepers have to pay as well and the man in the middle earns money with very little outlay and no wages. I suppose the "watchers" feel they're doing something for the community, while there is always the chance they might win something.
fr8mech From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 4265 posts, RR: 12 Reply 3, posted (2 years 7 months 3 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 1014 times:
While I agree that there is no expectation of privacy in a public place, I find it disturbing that the general public will now be acting as a psuedo-police force, and a reward to boot. I can see all kinds of abuse from this. A whole lot of false alarms and police resources moving to these false alarms and away from possible real situations. I'm not liking this.
Braybuddy From Ireland, joined Aug 2004, 5288 posts, RR: 35 Reply 4, posted (2 years 7 months 3 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 1014 times:
Interesting idea! Can't say I see anything wrong with it. If you were actually in the shop and saw someone shoplifting would you think it wrong to tell security? I'm sure people some people objected to CCTV when it was first introduced. This just improves monitoring, that's all.
fr8mech From United States of America, joined Sep 2005, 4265 posts, RR: 12 Reply 5, posted (2 years 7 months 3 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 996 times:
Quoting Braybuddy (Reply 4): If you were actually in the shop and saw someone shoplifting would you think it wrong to tell security?
Not quite the same situation. In the, any observation would be incidental to my shopping. In this case, these folks, who have no training, yet have a cash incentive, will be looking for every little thing. Not quite Big Brother, more like little sister.
aerorobnz From Rwanda, joined Feb 2001, 6328 posts, RR: 14 Reply 6, posted (2 years 7 months 3 weeks 1 day ago) and read 960 times:
Not worth it. Civilisation survived like 5000 years without this bullshit - why does it need it now.....thieving etc has been going on since humans became human - it's not a new thing, and it's never going to go away even with these cameras.
Braybuddy From Ireland, joined Aug 2004, 5288 posts, RR: 35 Reply 7, posted (2 years 7 months 3 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 933 times:
Quoting fr8mech (Reply 5): Not quite the same situation. In the, any observation would be incidental to my shopping. In this case, these folks, who have no training, yet have a cash incentive, will be looking for every little thing. Not quite Big Brother, more like little sister.
Another way of looking at this: security staff can't watch everyone, and they have their off moments too. Someone who is incentivsed will pay more attention, increasing the chances of the culprit being caught.
"Participants, who pay a fee to subscribe, press an "alert" button which relays an instant text message notifying a shop keeper of suspicious behavior. The SMS is followed up with a photographic image of the potential crime."
The person who notices the suspicious behaviour is merely passing the information on to the shopkeeper, who, I presume, will leave it his professionals. I'd say it wouldn't take long to weed-out people overreacting or causing false alarms.
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