Interconnections Between Technological and Policy Innovation: Re-evaluating the Evidence-Base Supporting the Provision of CCTV in the UK

Abstract

This article critically examines developments in CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) policy and provision in the UK, with specific reference to the ‘evidence-based’ approach to policy-making and service provision. The main features of the CCTV revolutions are examined from a policy perspective, so that intertwined changes in purpose and technological configuration are illuminated. The underlying premise of evidence-based policy is that a robust and reliable evidence base exists and that this body of knowledge is used rationally to inform changes in policy and practice. However, in the case of CCTV, there are a range of issues associated with the evidence base which seem to contradict the logic of continued CCTV provision. In this article these issues are explored through what the author calls five CCTV fallacies. These fallacies raise important questions, not just about the ongoing provision of CCTV, but the nature of modern public policy making procedures.