According to Mr Medwecki, one of the main reasons for more extensive use of CCTV systems in many countries is the threat of terrorism but if all that CCTV can do is to help with post incident investigation, this is not of much use. Governments worldwide want to prevent terrorist acts and not just be able to investigate them after they have happened.

The quality of CCTV images has improved recently but the key to further progress is to make CCTV smarter so that it can help prevent incidents rather than just leave a visual record of what has happened.

At the conference, Professor Brian Lovell of the University of Queensland, Australia, talked about using various technologies in conjunction with CCTV systems. He showed how hundreds of CCTV cameras could be integrated into a computer 3D model of a facility such as an airport to provide seamless coverage. On top of this, video analytic technology can be used to detect suspicious behaviours and facial recognition technology can be applied to a crowd through CCTV systems. Any suspicious behaviour or persons will activate an alarm and result in a timely and, hopefully, a preventive response.

Mr Medwecki pointed out that Mr Graeme Gerrard, Deputy Chief Constable of the Cheshire Constabulary in the UK, also echoed this desire for prevention and not just detection. In the UK there have been successes in the use of CCTV footage in the detection of crimes but this comes at great expense. Even minor cases can require the review of video footage for hundreds of hours, which is a huge drain on police resources. In the long run, this is not a sustainable approach and the emphasis has to move to prevention rather than detection.

In the UK, most city centres now have CCTV surveillance systems monitored 24 hours a day and in the event of an incident, the police are immediately alerted and can thus respond immediately with the result that there is no need for much investigation after the incident. Interestingly, Mr Gerrard pointed out that the extensive CCTV surveillance in the UK was not a police initiative but due to public demand. Widespread deployment of CCTV systems enhances the feeling of safety in city centres and there is a strong public demand for more such coverage.

There are exciting developments in this field and while some people may think this points to intrusion into privacy, most governments seem to think that this attitude is a luxury that a government can no longer afford in this age of terrorist threats.

Superintendent Medwecki making a point on CCTV systems at the Future CCTV Conference in Singapore