Use technology to cut crime

More innocent blood continues to be shed as the senseless gang war continues. Those who have been appointed to protect us seem overwhelmed by the enormous task.

They don’t have an effective strategy to deal with the criminal elements.

We need to consider investing more heavily in the area of surveillance so that law-abiding citizens can feel safe knowing someone is watching us. The Government and large corporations must make it their top priority to install cameras, microphones and other tracking devices across the country and they also need to make it their duty to develop the capacity to store and process surveillance data in real time. We should start preparing this nation and not just by wringing our hands and playing politics or mounting attempts to defeat surveillance. We ought to do some hard thinking about its positive aspects and its ability to defeat the criminals. Cataloguing the downsides of mass surveillance is essential, but we have a whole lot of literature and information devoted to that. Instead, let’s explore its potential benefits and make full use of this incredible technology.

The most obvious advantage of mass surveillance is a drastic reduction in crime and lawlessness.

Indeed, this is the advantage most often put forward by surveillance proponents today. The evidence as to whether current surveillance achieves this is ambiguous; cameras, for instance, seem to have an effect on property crime, but not on incidences of violence.

If calibrated properly, total surveillance might eradicate certain types of crime. People respond well to inevitable consequences, especially those that follow swiftly on the heels of their law-breaking. Few would commit easily monitored crimes, such as assault or breaking and entering, if it meant being arrested within a matter of minutes. If surveillance recordings were stored for later analysis, other types of crimes could be eradicated as well, because perpetrators would fear later discovery and ultimately punishment for their deeds.

SIMON WRIGHT Chaguanas