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Whilst thousands of CCTV cameras have been rolled out across the capital in recent years, the fact remains that the vast majority are not specifically profiled to provide usable Forensic Surveillance images. Traffic monitoring cameras are notoriously unpredictable when it comes to yielding anything useful in terms of replaying recorded images of criminal suspects. Town Centre cameras are generally inefficient for fulfilling the specific role of passive "Evidential Quality Recording", so it would be more a reliance on luck rather than judgement as to whether any useful images will eventually be forthcoming from this direction. The London Underground has over a period of time, benefited from substantial investment in CCTV camera installations, but for the informed casual observer, they often appear to have been installed with the benefit of only limited technical and operational insight. On the rare occasions when images are released to the press and media, usually as a last ditch effort to 'jog the memory', the quality of the pictures is generally rather poor, in fact they are often only slightly more useful than absolutely nothing at all. There are of course many surveillance cameras which will yield usable images, but given the enormity of the task, it would take a miracle or a lucky break, to achieve any immediate results. Looking for suspects whose identity is unknown, possibly carrying a bag, or possibly not, getting on to the network at any one of maybe hundreds of stations, changing lines, changing stations, presents a task of quite mind numbing proportions. Even the secondary task of reviewing past recordings to establish whether the attackers carried out a preparatory reconnaisance, or perhaps a dummy run, could quite literally take tens of thousands of man hours to achieve. Well at least given the Mayor of London's enthusiastic support for the installation of CCTV cameras, throughout the capitals bus fleet, we can reasonably expect to see some crucial material being recovered from the blast scene, by the specialist police forensic teams ... or possibly not. If todays press reports are to be believed, the police are "disappointed" at the fact that the security camera fitted onto the devastated number 30 bus, was not working. The CCTV camera was not working? The singular most vital source of evidence capable of immediately producing evidential quality images of the bomber, was not functioning; at least if the Digital Video Recorder had been destroyed in the blast, it would be understandable, but as the unit is located beside the driver, who thankfully survived, serious questions may well need to be asked. Not so long ago, London buses issued thousands of leaflets entitled "Feel secure beneath the watchful eyes - improved security coming to a bus route near you". With the reassuring message "CCTV not only protects drivers and conductors, but also plays a major role in keeping passengers secure. It provides evidence in the event of an incident ...." , we can but hope that this message proves prophetic. As the week draws to a close with celebrations commemorating the end of World War II, we are aptly reminded of the appalling losses suffered by Londoners during the dark days of the blitz. Then as now, our spirits become strengthened through adversity. <<<Previous page - Specific anti terrorist advice for CCTV operators >>> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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