Surveillance is almost permanently used
throughout our everyday life and sometimes do we even know it? Most places we
go, people we see as well as jobs we do we are constantly being recorded
through CCTV or other various types of recording devices. Is the thought of
being regularly recorded seen as a positive or negative in current day?
Evidentially for safety purposes
surveillance can defiantly be used for the greater good, decreasing the number
of criminals getting away with various crimes, as well as preventing many
potential offences. A prime example being the case of Jill Meagher’s murder in
Brunswick after disappearing on the 22nd September 2012,
surveillance footage was infact what helped the authorities catch the man
responsible for such a horrible crime. This was done so in just a matter of
days following the attack. After such a terrible event there was a safety audit
conducted around Melbourne, following a further nine 360 degree view cameras
were installed around the city (J Masanauskas, 2013).
Although can the use of such high tech and
permanent security devices always be such a great thing?
Many people around the county disagree with
the amount of footage that is recorded, claiming that it is infact an invasion
of our privacy on many levels. Is this
high level of footage necessary or infact a breach of privacy some may ask?
What is comes down to in the end, is the
use of surveillance technology does indeed help decrease the level of crime as
well as assist in the capture of those committing such offences. Without these
devices many of us wouldn’t be as safe as we may take for granted when
innocently strolling the many streets around Melbourne, as well as other cities
around the world.
Another key example of surveillance being
used to make our city a better and safer place is on our freeway and highways. The
new Peninsula Link, which opened January 2013, operates using a 24hr constant
surveillance system, as well as plenty of speed cameras, all in place purely
for the safety for commuters all year round. Said cameras enable emergency
services to identify where exactly somebody is, if there is an accident or
individuals may be in some sort trouble. Enabling this kind of response,
emergency service units are able to act much faster than what they originally
may have.
Evidently there will always be issues that
arise with surveillance technology, and seeing that it is ever evolving, this
wont be an issue of the past anytime soon. At the end of the day, surveillance
is predominantly there for our protection, and of those around us. Without this
evolving technology our city wouldn’t be what we know of it today.
Melbourne Peninsula Link
http://www.linkingmelbourne.vic.gov.au/pages/peninsula-link.asp
Bibliography
John Masanauskas, 2013, ‘City in bid to
expand CCTV van's scope in inner-city’, The
Herald Sun, 6 June, date retrieved 11 August 2013, < http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/city-in-bid-to-expand-cctv-vans-scope-in-inner-city/story-fni0fee2-1226658930221>.
Annika Smethurst, 2013, ‘Peninsula Link
freeway from Carrum Downs to Mt Martha to open on Friday after 40 years of
planning’, Leader, 16 January, date retrieved
11 August 2013, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/bayside/peninsula-link-set-to-open-friday/story-fngnvli9-1226554994550.
