Surveillance Cameras

Surveillance enhances how people outside of the situation view a particular incident but it does not give the point of view of the persons from the scene. In many ways in enhances our society but it also undermines it. The most common and often the most conflicting is the video surveillance camera.

Surveillance cameras are a great asset to any establishment. They allow others to witness crimes and the perpetrators. This advancement makes it much harder for someone to deny involvement in a crime when a camera captures them performing it. But, like most technology, there is also a downside. The camera can only capture what happens visually and audibly. It cannot capture a person’s viewpoint of the situation.

The video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaHyuWgir8U is an excellent example of a surveillance camera’s benefits and downsides. The woman was ultimately right (which can be seen from the video) and the cop was mistaken but he was not aware that he was wrong. The women acted hastily and the cop followed procedure, giving her many opportunities to cooperate but she refused each time. Each side was equally involved in the events that ensued and the court verdicts reflected this. Surveillance cameras are a valuable addition in society but their benefits can only go so far.