Read about this recent unprovoked attack in Lincoln and then see if you still like the idea of a night out in town. All that city centre CCTV doesn’t seem like much of a deterrent, does it?
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SilverTiger said:
But it’s not just Lincoln,is it? Unfortunately, this incident could have happened in practically any city. It is outrageous, it is disgusting, it is frightening. Unfortunately, it is also quite common.
It is not only physical damage that the victims suffer. They are also traumatized mentally and emotionally, possibly for a long time, possibly for the rest of their lives. The careless pleasure of walking through town has been turned into a nightmare for them. Those of us who can still do it know in the back of our minds that we are skating on thin ice but we whistle a merry tune and hope for the best.
As you say, cctv serves absolutely no useful purpose whatsoever in these cases. The best you can expect is that after an attack, the tapes will be searched for evidence. Crooks know about cctv; they know where the blind spots are; they know to cover their faces.
I often sit on a bus alone or stand alone on a tube station and see a cctv camera staring down at me with a little notice somewhere “warning” us that the bus or station is under surveillance for our “security”. I am tempted to make a very rude gesture at the camera but the chances are that no one will ever see it. Just as they will never see the mugger who catches me in the blind spot.
July 4, 2008
Chris said:
Absolutely correct, ST. I did wonder if you were going to mention the mythical ‘Golden Age’ many years ago when people could go out and leave their doors unlocked and leave the keys in their cars’ ignition with no fear of becoming a victim of crime.
Alas, those days never existed except in people’s imaginations.
July 4, 2008
John said:
As one who lived in that ‘Golden Age’, Chris I have to agree with you, although during the 1950’s I (and the girl I married)often walked through the streets of Brixton (Yes Brixton) late at night and no harm came to us. It was a ‘rough’ area and there were plenty of fights in pubs and dance halls, but, as I recall, ’street crime’ was rare: and BTW no one owned cars to leave the keys in.
July 5, 2008
Chris said:
Back in those days, the local bobby was allowed to give you a ‘clip round the ear’ (or so I’ve heard). They still had the cane in schools as well, didn’t they? No connection between that and the lack of crime though, I wouldn’t have thought [said the blogger, tongue firmly in cheek].
July 5, 2008
Ed said:
Violence has reached an incredible level everywhere unfortunately, as recent news have shown in London, but also in France… And we never had the cane in schools.
July 8, 2008