Assessing the Usefulness of CCTV in Baltimore City, Maryland

Abstract

This report reviews the results of an investigation into the effectiveness of public surveillance systems in Cherry Hill, Baltimore City, Maryland. Its chief objective is to discern whether CCTV cameras are a successful crime control measure, and whether their implementation displaced crime or generated a diffusion of benefits to the areas outside a camera's viewshed. Previous research on the efficacy of CCTV leaves much to be desired, and the debate is still inconclusive. Thus, this study attempts to move toward new ways of analysing crime data gathered pre- and post- implementation of cameras in a given target area. To conduct this research, the investigation utilizes a combination of existing and new geographical information systems (GIS) spatial techniques to visualize and measure crime distribution, and uses LiDAR data to produce a precise mapping of a camera's line-of-sight. Findings from each analytical method are compared, contrasted, and combined to provide rounded results. These findings suggest that the implementation of GIS techniques in crime mapping have huge potential, and could provide innovative uses for CCTV within law enforcement crime control programs.