London's spy-cameras do not reduce crime
By: John Russell | Source: IRN News
September 20, 2007 5:03PM EST

The people of London live in a surveillnce society where more than ten-thousand spy-cameras watch their every move. The system was sold to the public, at a cost of 200,000,000 pounds or roughly $3000,000,000 American dollars, as a way to cut crime in the British capitol. The problem is that like so many other measures where the the public has surrendered freedom for the promise of security the public isn't any safer. Using information gained through the freedom of information act the city's Liberal Democrats found that in spite of the assault on privacy the cameras had no measurable effect on crime. What would have made a difference at a fraction of the cost would have been better street lighting which has proven to reduce street crime by about 20%. Since the British public was disarmed by the state the United Kingdom has seen it's crime rates skyrocket to the point that it now surpasses the United States in violence. In a country that has no right to self-defence the government's spy system may comfort those in power it has not made life any safer for the average Londoner.

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