CCTV footage is NOT used to detect crime
The UK has millions of private and public CCTV cameras, covering public and private spaces. Policing has for at least fifteen years placed incredible reliance on obtaining usable footage to investigate crimes, now a formet Met officer has "blown the whistle":
Quote:
Thousands of crimes in London are going unsolved because police are failing to fully investigate CCTV footage, a former senior Met detective claimed today. Mick Neville, a former detective chief inspector, said that despite billions of pounds being spent on CCTV cameras by companies and individuals, images were not routinely collected by police.
Both links are the same. The original newspaper report:http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime...-a3442416.html
From an advocacy group:https://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/m...-cctv-footage/
Greater Manchester Police: My time on the beat
A short report by a BBC reporter who embedded with the police in Manchester for three months, but didn't do the paperwork. Here are two sentences:
Quote:
Over these months, I've seen police officers working under immense pressure with no margin for error, in situations that most of us will never be exposed to. Those officers who do this are not normal. They are brave and sometimes they're heroic.
Link:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...ester-47979314
Criminals going unpunished because of cuts, says police chief
A public comment by my local Chief Constable which reinforces my view that policing here is broken. So what did he say?
Quote:
We are not always able to take the fight to the criminals in the way we would want – in some routine cases, the delays and stretch are resulting in charges not being brought as they would have years ago.
The public know that serious organised crime and counter-terrorism are important. What is cheesing off the public is the routine stuff. That’s the stuff for the vast majority that affects legitimacy and confidence. It’s the phone not getting answered, and not turning up for some jobs people expect us to do. That is damaging confidence and legitimacy.
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-police-chief?
Part of the problem, money aside, is the police's reluctance, if not refusal, to publicly say "We do not do that now". Then they say "x" is a priority or we have officers patrolling your area - when in reality there are none.
Here is a Met (London) constable's anonymous commentary:https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...fe-crime-cuts?