Written question asked by David Crausby (Labour) on Wednesday, 18 March 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 20 March 2009. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Monday, 20 April 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Crime Prevention

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the installation of closed circuit television cameras in combating crime; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: CCTV is a powerful crime fighting tool. Police operational experience and various research studies show that it deters and detects crime and helps secure convictions. It can also reduce fear of crime. CCTV works best as part of a package of measures to deal with specific events and crime problems.A recent review of existing research was undertaken by the Campbell Collaboration, which was part funded by the National Policing Improvement Agency. The review found that CCTV has a modest but significant desirable effect on crime, is most effective in reducing crime in car parks, when targeted at vehicle crimes, and is more effective in reducing crime in the United Kingdom than in other countries. The main points of the review will be summarised and made available to police forces by the summer.

Secondary information