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July 13, 2005

CCTV

For all the snearing about London's deployment of CCTV surveillance, it appears the technology has played a key role in the speedy identification of the bombers.

Images of the four men together were captured on camera at King's Cross station minutes before the bombings. The gang, three of whom came from West Yorkshire, then dispersed.

If the camera on the bus had been operational, and let us hope London transport is seeing to that problem, at least one of the culprits could have been identified immediately. CCTC may not have prevented, deterred or displaced these men but as this is terror and not youth in hoodies it is the critics who should reconsider their expectations of the technology without dismissing it entirely.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at July 13, 2005 07:33 AM

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Comments

Something that always needs to be stressed with CCTVs is that they do not prevent crime, they do not stop crime, they only allow one to monitor the activities, usually after the fact and determine how things happened. They are great for laying blame for some act, be it a clear crime of violence or a crime of thought and behavior that the state wishes to curb.

This is in fact similar to some laws that are passed with the intention of preventing such crimes, but do nothing of the sort, they merely add additional charges that one may lay upon someone.

Posted by: rmgill@mindspring.com [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 13, 2005 11:48 AM