CCTV in Town Centres: Three Case Studies

Abstract

This paper examines how the police are using CCTV systems to deal with crime and disorder within three different town centres in England Newcastle, Birmingham and King's Lynn. It examines the effect in the medium term of the use of cameras on local patterns of offending for different types of offence within these different types of town centre. It also attempts to provide some indication of the mechanisms through which CCTV has its effect.