Opinion : Should poor quality CCTV systems be banned?

CCTV is everywhere. No matter where you go there is bound to be a camera watching over and recording our every move.

However most of the images recorded by these infernal cameras are of appalling quality.  Grainy and pixelated pictures are the norm.

While the camera may give a general impression as to what happens, when it comes to precise identification many CCTV systems leave a lot to be desired.

So what use are these poor quality CCTV systems? They may give us a sense of security knowing that others around us are being watched but apart from that I fear they are of little use.

Amazingly there is no minimum standard as to the picture quality that a CCTV system must meet. Yours truly has seen systems that are ten or more years old still being used, needless to say the pictures that come from the VHS tapes are appalling compared to a modern system.

Did you see the article that appeared on the news section of this sire recently about the acid attack that happened on Frogmoor? In the article there is a You Tube video that shows a fly-through of the crime scene including CCTV images of the acid attack taking place.

When looking at the CCTV pictures from Wycombe’s town centre CCTV system in the You Tube video mentioned above surely you have to agree that the pictures are very poor?

This is not the first time that pictures from the CCTV system in the town centre have been released following a crime. In the other cases the pictures that my good self has seen were also, in my opinion, very poor.

Many of the cameras are located too high up meaning that we get a good view of the top of someone’s hat rather than their face.

In fact, in the You Tube video, there are also pictures from the CCTV of a local business near to Frogmoor. These pictures are far better.

Isn’t it about time questions were asked at the future of the CCTV in Wycombe town centre? If there are cameras in operation that are not capable of clearly identifying someone then either the system should be upgraded or closed down?

Yours truly hopes our Council Tax isn’t being spent employing people to watch over a system that produces pictures that are of poor quality? Or on electricity running cameras that can’t identify people clearly?

I think there should be a minimum standard for CCTV systems in the UK. For a start all CCTV cameras should be HD quality at a minimum and they should be located such that peoples faces are clearly visibly withing a range of 10 yards from the camera. Indeed its about time poor quality CCTV systems were banned.

Until there is a minimum standards for CCTV yours truly fears the country will be blighted with systems that provide a sense of protection rather than being of any actual use.

What do you think?

My blogs are published every Tuesday and Friday evening around 8.00pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.

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