Sometimes, these normal activities are interrupted by crimes. While crime is somewhat normal in a large city, it is always viewed as a disruption of peace and harmony. The crimes include breaking simple violations, such as speeding, to grave ones, such as, murder or perjury. Law enforcement tries to minimize or even stops these crimes.

They do this in a variety of ways. For example, police use both nonlethal and lethal weapons to stop criminals. They use fast sturdy cars to chase outlaws. And they also use surveillance to spot crimes in progress. For this article, we will talk about surveillance.

Surveillance is all about passive observation. Most of the time, passive surveillance is done by high-technology equipment such as motion detectors, infrared detectors, and ultrasensitive microphones. All of this equipment are networked to a nerve center in a police station.

The foremost equipment for surveillance however is a security camera system, commonly known as a CCTV system. With a network of cameras in strategic places around the city, operators can alert police officers when a crime is observed, allowing policemen to arrive at the scene quickly. Also, these cameras can also record images that could be useful for evidence in convicting a criminal.

How effective they are depends on the following identifiers:

1. Caught in the act – when the situation is ideal, criminals usually think of initiating a crime. But if they know that there are cameras in the area, they usually abandon the idea of conducting that crime for the fear of being taped for evidence.

2. Publicity – in many cities, the announcement of the presence of cameras usually deter lawbreakers from doing their acts. The public knows that they are being watched, and they wouldn't want to risk being caught in camera.

Studies show that crime activity goes down in a certain area goes down when information that cameras are placed there is released. Needless to say, offenders may try other areas where they think there aren't any cameras.

3. Effective deployment of policemen – even if surveillance camera systems do most of the job, they wouldn't be effective if policemen are not near the vicinity. CCTVs increase response time, and with the police around, criminals can be apprehended in no time at all. Depending on the severity of the crime, operators can actually determine how many cops are needed to subdue the outlaw. Through the cameras, operators may also guide cops on how to handle the situation. Finally, they can act as spotters, checking if there is any danger nearby while the cops are arresting a criminal.

4. Unexpectedness – if criminals know that cameras are in place, they usually ply their trade in another area. But if that area is also unexpectedly wired with cameras, these criminals can be captured.