Municipal Surveillance

Municipal surveillance refers to video surveillance that is used in public places such as high traffic areas, intersections, public parks, shopping malls, squares, sidewalks, and privately owned (but publicly accessible) areas to enable cities and towns to provide safety, protection, and awareness to their consumers and citizens. Through the years, surveillance usage has progressed drastically, and the laws pertaining to it have progressed as well. This entry investigates the history of municipal surveillance and how it has increased and evolved due to technological advances and concerns of terrorism. The benefits of limiting crime as well as holding government officials, who may also be under surveillance, to higher standards are then discussed. The entry concludes with a look at some criticisms of municipal surveillance and how ...