They are watching, act normal!

It has come to my attention recently that Britain has more than 4.2 million CCTV cameras focused on us, its citizens. 4.2 Million. Just think about that for a second. That's one camera for every 14 people in Britain. Well, if you factor in all the illegals, it's more like 1 for every 15 people. I am not even sure if that figure includes the revenue raising speed cameras that litter our roads.

And if that doesn't shock you, then what follows surely will.
According to the Daily Mail, CCTV cameras have been introduced that can spot crimes before they happen.
To clarify that, these cameras spot "suspicious activity" and alert an operator who will then decide whether or not to call the police. Suspicious activity includes loitering and walking slowly.
Now, I can understand that these rely on human operators to make the judgement. But then, what if the operator in question is an overzealous jobsworth who sees someone discard a cigarette butt and decides to call it in? That might sound paranoid but it honestly wouldn't suprise me.
Not only that, but there remains the fact that cameras never - never - will be as effective as having proper policing on the streets. Sure, the camera might pick up on a mugging and report it, but then the operator has to contact police, describe the location and event and the police actually have to get there themselves. By which time the criminals have gotten away, leaving their victim for dead.

I suppose my real problem with this is the furthering of the surveillance society we live in. I fear it will be used to pick up on law-abiding citizens for the tiniest of problems - dropping litter might be a problem, but it's not worth going after through a court system, and yet this is what I fear these cameras will be used for.

Just remember that cameras will never ever be able to replace fully-trained police (NOT Police Community Support Officers!). So when you see one in an area that should really have a bobby on the beat, be sure to let the camera know how you feel.
Because someone, somewhere is watching.