NCJ Number
203068
Date Published
November 2003
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the background and methodology involved in a study designed to examine the effects of closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance cameras on crime in public spaces.
Abstract
The use of CCTV surveillance has been widely employed in recent years to prevent crime in public spaces, especially within Britain and, to a lesser extent, within the United States. A debate has ensued about the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance as a crime prevention tactic. As such, through an analysis of the relevant research literature, the article seeks to assess the overall impact of CCTV surveillance on crime, as well as which crimes are most impacted by CCTV surveillance and under what conditions CCTV surveillance is most effective. The article identifies the criterion for inclusion in the research review and describes the coding strategies, which include the outcome measures of property and violent crime, the displacement of crime, and the diffusion of crime prevention benefits. The article next provides information about the intended use of statistical procedures and conventions, which involve a meta-analysis of the research literature using the odds ratio to measure effect size. The authors seek to update their research review on CCTV surveillance and its effect on crime every 2 years. References