We’re watching you! Surge in spy cameras on Scotland’s streets
12,000 Big Brother systems... costing £18million
SCOTS are being watched by a soaring number of CCTV cameras, ‘chilling’ figures show.
Local authorities are increasingly investing in surveillance to track and monitor citizens.
Campaigners have accused councils of ‘trading people’s freedom’ through the increase in cameras – with almost a third more than there were five years ago.
There are now at least 12,170 CCTV cameras operating across the country, figures show.
The true total is likely to be higher because a small number of councils did not respond to our freedom of information request.
Campaigners said CCTV coverage is rising faster in Scotland than in the rest of the UK, despite evidence suggesting that it is not effective at tackling crime.
Charles Farrier, co-founder of No to CCTV, said: ‘Since 2009, it seems CCTV in Scotland is expanding quicker than anywhere else.
‘Every time the numbers increase we take more freedom away.’
He pointed to the 2008 report by the Campbell Collaboration, an international social science research network, which looked at the use of CCTV mainly within the UK, but also abroad. The report concluded: ‘CCTV has a modest impact on crime. Effectiveness varies across settings.
‘Surveillance is more effective at preventing crime in car parks, and less effective in city and town centres, public housing and public transport. The effectiveness of CCTV surveillance is greater when camera coverage of an area is high. CCTV surveillance does not have an effect on levels of violent crime.’
A report for Bristol City Council estimated that it costs a minimum
6. East Ayrshire - 811
7. South Ayrshire - 778
8. Argyll and Bute - 544
9. Glasgow - 434
10. East Renfrewshire - 374 of £1,500 per camera per year for 24/7 monitoring, which would mean Scotland’s 12,180 cameras cost more than £18 million.
Mr Farrier said: ‘It’s a costly waste of money, which is trading people’s freedom for nothing.’
He added that advancements in technology required more discussion with the public about intrusion into their daily lives.
Mr Farrier said: ‘It’s moving forward in ways that are frightening.
‘Facial recognition software is being rolled out across the country. It can follow people, it can track them. It’s a slippery slope. It’s the chilling effect of this technology.
‘That’s not what the public agreed to. The public agreed to this on the basis that it would reduce crime and it does not do that.’
Niall McCluskey, one of Scotland’s leading human rights lawyers, said that councils needed to be transparent about why they were increasing the number of CCTV cameras at such a rate.
He said: ‘The first question that occurs, given we already have what appears to be a huge amount of CCTV trained on our citizens, is why is there a need for any more?
‘That’s not just from a civil liberties point of view, but also a public resources point of view.
‘When organisations can spend more and more on CCTV, we have to know what their justification is for doing so.
‘It becomes so invasive that it goes beyond its initial purpose.’
However, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), the umbrella body representing councils, said the cameras were vital to fight crime and terrorism.
A Cosla spokesman said: ‘CCTV is considered a useful tool, not just for councils, but for a range of other public and private sector organisations, such as the provision of court evidence, identification of antisocial behaviour, early intervention and prevention of repeat offences, counter-terrorism measures and tackling organised crime.
‘It is a matter for councils and their local partners on the number of CCTV cameras deployed locally.’
‘A waste of money... and taking freedom away’