The issues of crime and national security are increasingly becoming  challenging ones and this is so, no doubt, because of the illegal narcotics trade.

As a result, many countries are now working feverishly to find new and innovative methods and strategies to battle crime.

In this search for new methods and strategies, by both developed and developing countries, increasing use of science and technology is being made. This is logical because criminals are employing more sophisticated methods.

One of the latest tools that is being employed in the crime fight is the use of CCTV cameras. While its success cannot be fully determined as yet, the indication so far is that it is helping significantly in the crime fight.
According to media reports coming out of the UK, thousands more CCTV cameras are to be put in place around the UK as the government steps up efforts to fight crime.
The cameras will be installed in residential crime hotspots, High Street shopping centres, public transport networks and car parks, and hospital sites.
The £79m investment is the largest single government allocation of CCTV money to date and will fund 250 new schemes across England and Wales.

Civil rights campaigners however, are concerned about the expansion and a prominent criminologist has questioned the effectiveness of the cameras in deterring crime.
Home Office Minister John Denham, who has overall responsibility for crime reduction, said: “CCTV has repeatedly proved its effectiveness in the fight against crime and the fear of crime.
“Knowing that there is an extra set of eyes watching over their communities helps to reassure people that they will be safe.
“It also acts as an important set of eyes for the police, providing valuable evidence where incidents occur.
“Today’s announcement of the largest single allocation of CCTV money ever made will make a real contribution to continuing the national trend in falling crime figures.”
Guyana along with several of its sister Caribbean states are currently facing a tough challenge with criminal activities and therefore it is imperative that they come up with effective responses to deal with the situation.
In this regard, Guyana has begun the installation of CCTV cameras around the city and other critical areas. This was a promise made by the government a few years ago; that promise it is now fulfilling.
So as the system becomes operational, we would hope the fight against the criminals is significantly more effective and successful.
But the use of CCTV cameras is not restricted to the crime fight; it could also be used to nab traffic offenders and already in many countries it has shown a fair degree of success.
Traffic accidents are very common in our country and is a very serious concern. Therefore, it is hoped that the use of these cameras will be extended towards the nabbing of traffic offenders.
In Jamaica this is already under consideration because of the high level of traffic accidents there.
According to the Jamaica Gleaner, with more than 3,000 traffic fatalities since January 2001, government officials plan to get tough on traffic offenders with tech-savvy surveillance cameras.
Up to July 8, 183 road users were killed in fatal collisions, just two shy of the death toll for the comparative period last year. The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is hoping that the technology will come on stream in the next 18 months.
Paula Fletcher, executive director of the NRSC, said the road-safety authority understands the urgency of curbing traffic fatalities.
“A vehicle almost becomes a weapon (so) it can’t be business as usual,” Fletcher said.
“We really believe that this is a critical intervention (needed) to stem fatalities and injuries on our roads, specifically those concerned with speeding and breaking the red light.”
Fletcher told The Gleaner that Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry has established a committee to examine the policy and legislative framework that would be required for the implementation of the
surveillance cameras, geared towards improving the prosecution of traffic offenders.