Police chief: ‘Put CCTV in every home’

Police chief: ‘Put CCTV in every home’

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe says CCTV cameras should be installed by homeowners and businesses to help detectives solve crimes.

Commissioner Bernard Hogan Howe also said that homeowners must make efforts to install equipment properly to avoid undermining inquiries.

When the Metropolitan Police Commissioner was asked if business and home owners needed to make greater use of CCTV cameras he said yes, adding: “We’ve got a strategy to encourage people, with their cameras, is to move them down to eye level.”
But the Commissioner warned those buying such devices to be sure to position them correctly.

He said: “Over the last year as facial recognition software has got better we can apply the software to the images of burglaries or robberies and we can compare those images with the images we take when we arrest people.”
“Taking the tops of their heads is not that helpful for facial recognition which relies on the eyes and the configuration of the area around the nose and the mouth. So we’re trying to get people to, ideally, add another camera at face level.”

Speaking on LBC radio, Mr Hogan Howe denied that placing cameras at eye-level could invite criminal acts of vandalism.

He said: “‘Most criminals are pretty disorganised, they don’t think about it. The reason the cameras are high is two-fold. One is to keep it out of harm’s way.”

“As importantly, you get a whole shot of what happened at the event: What did they steal? Did they use a knife? You get all that. But more relevant today is a face. That’s what we need.

“If anyone who is listening has a business, think about installing a new one – they’re cheap, relatively. If you can’t buy one, could you think about moving it?”

(Repost of Original curated by Gregory Walton)