Friday, October 18, 2019
SIM #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
SIM #4 - Essay Example Unfortunately, the destiny of the unproductive branches is fire. Thus, I will consider myself unproductive if I fail to convey the message about God to those who do not know Him. As a result of this, I will also be in a position to incur the punishment that will be imposed on me by God by proving unproductive. A church has also a role to play in enhancing the growth of productive souls. It does this by informing its audience on what they are obliged to do by God. A church also provides its audience with spiritual words as well motivational words as portrayed in the Bible in order to develop their faith. A church that enhances spiritual development and observance of Godââ¬â¢s will correlates to the fruitful vine. However, some churches portray different pictures to the society. For instance, the dressing code, songs sung, and the mode of dancing in some churches show how believers have gone astray. Other churches are known also of using their services to generate money. In connection to the passage, churches that contribute to ungodliness among believers correlate to unfruitful vines and need to be
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Employment Discrimination Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Employment Discrimination - Assignment Example These articles present different provisions and protections to employees regarding discrimination in working places. Article nine states two major provisions as highlighted below: â⬠¢ ââ¬Å"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observanceâ⬠(Council of Europe, 2013). â⬠¢ ââ¬Å"Freedom to manifest oneââ¬â¢s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of othersâ⬠(Council of Europe, 2013). Article 14 on the other hand also provides different aspects seeking to provide protection to individuals who might suffer from personal discrimination, either directly or indirectly within the working environment. This article, however, works in accordance to the provisions of article 9. The provision of this article states as follows. â⬠¢ ââ¬Å"The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in [the] Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other statusâ⬠.... These decisions delivered by the European Court of Human Rights could have various implications on the employment context in future. 1st applicant The applicant had been working with British airways for 5years before the introduction of new uniform regulations, which created controversies with her religion. The applicant appeared to fail to conceal the religious symbol displayed, prompting the company to take necessary action. Following the laid down procedures, the company decided to terminate the services of the applicant indefinitely, without pay. The condition set upon the employee was that she would be reinstated when ready to comply with the prevailing regulations. Following numerous consultations, with relevant stakeholders, the company reviewed the regulations and the perceived religious symbol became permitted within specified working areas. The applicant was reinstated into her employment, however, the pending dues, accrued during suspension were denied to the employee. Thi s prompted the filing of legal complaint against the company for discriminative treatment, and breach of article 9. The applicant cited hindrance of the freedom to manifest her religion. The employment tribunal, however, dismissed the claims for direct discrimination on the ground that, the applicant failed to raise the issues of discrimination when the regulation was introduced. The failure by the applicant to present evidence of other individuals complaining of similar discrimination became the ground for dismissal at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The appellate body dismissed the appeal for indirect discrimination as the applicant never proved of instances where other persons professing similar religious beliefs complained of discrimination from the companyââ¬â¢s regulations. This
Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Reflection - Essay Example The challenges come from in diverse forms, from the selection of specific topics to satisfy each academic need, to preparations for preliminary drafts taking into account critical elements that need to be incorporated in essay writing. Aside from the crucial requisite to perennially observe correct grammatical rules, to ensure that the detailed objectives for the essay are attained, there is this relevant element of writing the essay with the intended audience to be taken into consideration. Particularly for the purpose of this reflective essay, I have to bear in mind that I relay the improvements and transformations noted from personal perspectives on these various literary works written during the course. Essays that required a comparative analysis of a situation, of personalities, or of themes (of which I compared two Batman movies) assisted in developing analytical skills that required making in depth assessments of various elements of the movie: the actors, the plot, the charact ers, cinematography, sounds, and awards received, accordingly. The activity honed, not only writing in correct grammar, spelling and structure; but more so on delving into details to achieve the objective of selecting and justifying from among those elements identified, the best movie from oneââ¬â¢s point of view.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
SIM #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
SIM #4 - Essay Example Unfortunately, the destiny of the unproductive branches is fire. Thus, I will consider myself unproductive if I fail to convey the message about God to those who do not know Him. As a result of this, I will also be in a position to incur the punishment that will be imposed on me by God by proving unproductive. A church has also a role to play in enhancing the growth of productive souls. It does this by informing its audience on what they are obliged to do by God. A church also provides its audience with spiritual words as well motivational words as portrayed in the Bible in order to develop their faith. A church that enhances spiritual development and observance of Godââ¬â¢s will correlates to the fruitful vine. However, some churches portray different pictures to the society. For instance, the dressing code, songs sung, and the mode of dancing in some churches show how believers have gone astray. Other churches are known also of using their services to generate money. In connection to the passage, churches that contribute to ungodliness among believers correlate to unfruitful vines and need to be
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Reflection - Essay Example The challenges come from in diverse forms, from the selection of specific topics to satisfy each academic need, to preparations for preliminary drafts taking into account critical elements that need to be incorporated in essay writing. Aside from the crucial requisite to perennially observe correct grammatical rules, to ensure that the detailed objectives for the essay are attained, there is this relevant element of writing the essay with the intended audience to be taken into consideration. Particularly for the purpose of this reflective essay, I have to bear in mind that I relay the improvements and transformations noted from personal perspectives on these various literary works written during the course. Essays that required a comparative analysis of a situation, of personalities, or of themes (of which I compared two Batman movies) assisted in developing analytical skills that required making in depth assessments of various elements of the movie: the actors, the plot, the charact ers, cinematography, sounds, and awards received, accordingly. The activity honed, not only writing in correct grammar, spelling and structure; but more so on delving into details to achieve the objective of selecting and justifying from among those elements identified, the best movie from oneââ¬â¢s point of view.
University of California Application Essay Essay Example for Free
University of California Application Essay Essay As a person, I believe that every trait and characteristic that I posses is an essential component that defines who I am. If some aspect of it is changed, then it could most likely be describing another person other than me. Everything that happened to me, every experience that has come and passed definitely molded me to the person I am now. I am eager to share every detail of my experiences, both ups and downs, so that people will be able to know me more. I grew up having a strong sense of responsibility with me. Even as a child, I know what I should do and where I should position myself so that I will be able to achieve my goals and aspirations. I was and still am very eager to learn, thatââ¬â¢s why all my life, I was in pursuit of knowledge. My eagerness to learn is one trait that Iââ¬â¢m proud of. It has guided me all throughout my academic life, even now, as my pursuit of knowledge goes on. Life itself is a learning process. For children to run, they must first learn to stand up and walk, for adults to go into a relationship, they must first learn to love and appreciate. For me, the best way to learn is to live life to the fullest. Lifeââ¬â¢s lessons come in various ways, and one of this is through the challenges that we encounter every day. These challenges are there to educate us, thus raising our awareness of our strong points and weak points. For me, as I know more about these points, specifically my assets and liabilities, I am able to determine which areas in my life needs my attention more. I could further strengthen my weaknesses and use it to my advantage, while keeping up with my strengths so that they wonââ¬â¢t backfire and be my weaknesses. For me, this would further improve the life that I live. Another trait that I value is optimism. I am a person who looks at things positively, at an angle which is always on my advantage. In everything that happens to me, I always try to look on the bright side. It comes with my belief that everything happens for a reason, and everything that happens to me makes me a better person. I can attest to the saying ââ¬Å"what doesnââ¬â¢t kill you makes you strongerâ⬠. These challenges, problems and difficulties are there to help us in shaping the best future for us. I am a very competitive person. This is what opened me to my interest in sports. I have a strong love for sports, because the values that a person may develop in it are closely related to my beliefs and ideals. I enjoy a healthy competition, and it can help drive a person to aim for excellence. In this field, I was able to develop sportsmanship, perseverance, and self-control. These traits are all important not only in sports but are a necessity when we engage in the real world. These games are not there to tire us or to just to strengthen us physically; it is also there to help us build our character. I was able to discover the inner leader in me because of my love for sports. It is a team game, and I learned to follow the team because of sports. Iââ¬â¢ve had my share of ups and downs with different sports, like basketball, golf, and soccer. I value every lesson Iââ¬â¢ve learned from these events, and I wouldnââ¬â¢t trade my experiences for anything else. Learning has always been a big part of my life. It is what brought me to what I am now, and will guide me to what I will be in the future. I believe that life is one big learning process, and that everything we learn makes us a better person. So if I would be given another chance to learn more in a new learning environment like the University of California, I will surely make the most out of it. I am very sure of that.
Monday, October 14, 2019
The wide use of CCTV and effects on the Public
The wide use of CCTV and effects on the Public In the year 2000, Philips reviewed the studies that evaluated the effectiveness of closed circuit television (CCTV) in reducing crime, disorder and the fear of crime in a variety of places by using a guiding procedure from Tilleys model (1993a), which focused on the operational mechanisms used in closed circuit television. After his review, he then concluded that CCTV can be very efficient in deterring property crime, but his findings were more restricted to personal crime, public offences and the fear of crime. He also examined the public attitudes towards the use of CCTV in public places. Armitage (2002), in his own review of recent researches into the effectiveness of CCTV on community safety and the practitioners, he observed that CCTV was not always as successful at reducing crime as it was claimed to be. Although he confirmed that CCTV coverage and the governments funding of new systems have increased dramatically over the previous decade, in his findings, he strongly believed that CCTV has been more effective in deterring crime rather than being crime preventive. On the whole, he strongly believed that very little substantial evidence would suggest that CCTV worked. Short and Ditton (1998) noted that researchers in Scotland had concluded that CCTV cameras work to prevent criminality most of the time, unless the offenders were under the influence of alcohol. Obviously, alcohol would hinder proper reasoning and correct decision options. Some CCTV evaluation workers e.g. Gill et al (2005) have interviewed offenders regarding their attitudes towards the installation of CCTV cameras and the possible effects on crime. Although in those studies Gill et al (2005), many offenders felt that CCTV installation has been beneficial to the society, a few people still believe that it was a waste, failing to acknowledge its effectiveness at reducing crime. It was then speculated that offenders would normally wait for the CCTV cameras to move away from their direction before committing the intended crime. It was concluded therefore, that CCTV might have little or no effect in preventing the offenders from committing a crime but rather it would make them aware tha t they were being watched, thereby rendering them to be more careful when committing crimes. 2.2 CCTV and the CCTV Operator. But from the operators perspective according to Smith (2004), limited empirical research has been carried out on the dynamics and social interactions that make up a typical CCTV control rooms operational routine. He believed that the human element has been completely ignored and neglected. His study questioned the accuracy of a central assumption made in most of the written literatures on CCTV (Gill et al 2005). He believed that surveillance cameras were not only controlled and monitored constantly, but are also handled effectively and efficiently by the operators. In order to reduce the effects of tiredness and boredom, the operators often result into extra-curricular activities such as game playing while on duty. Indeed, the findings from the research of Smith (2004) suggested that the operators often felt imprisoned by their job within the confines of the CCTV control room. Based on these findings, he concluded that the human factor has undermined the effectiveness of CCTV surveil lance system. 2.3 CCTV and transport Regarding traffic accidents, Conche and Tight (2006) in their recent research, assessed the potential use for images collected through the increasingly use of CCTV cameras in urban areas as a means of understanding the causes of road traffic accidents and ensuring public safety of all road users. However, they thought that apart from CCTV being used to ensure public safety, it also provided records of accidents which could be used by safety researchers to increase both the quality of life and safety of road users. An area in central Leeds, which was studied showed that an existing CCTV camera network, used for monitoring urban traffic and managing surveillance, has the potential of recording about a quarter of the accidents which occured in the area. This was based on the pattern of past occurrences. Furthermore, majority of the High Streets in the United Kingdom will possibly have more camera set-ups placed in strategic places in order to reduce traffic accidents. The study also con sidered how resourceful the camera and video records could be as a means of collecting contributory factor information on a camera-captured accident. It was expressed as a general belief that the effectiveness of CCTV can only be assessed in terms of how visible each of the factors was likely to appear on video and its relative frequency of occurrence as well as how many crime issues it could resolve. The report concluded that CCTV has a high potential in providing adequate evidences about many of the most commonly occurring factors that contribute to traffic accidents, and in throwing further light on the causes of traffic accidents ( ). 2.4 CCTV and Crime. In the field of environmental criminology, we can not but mention Paul and Patricia Brantingham (2003) who studied extensively the models of crime with theories of the spatial and temporal patterns of human activities to predict the patterns and likelihood of criminal events. By modelling the movement patterns of offenders and the victims, in relation to the distribution and concentration of other people, criminal targets can make it possible to anticipate patterns in the potential displacement of crime from one location to another. The analysis of the movement patterns of criminals utilizing particular crime attractors can provide information on likely crime locations. The behavioural pattern of criminals can be used to predict their activities and the environments of crime, as well as their next-line of actions. Their opinion was that crime prevention and intervention, undertaken in displacement areas, bearing in mind the times and situations that stimulate the occurrence of crime, could have the potential of increasing any crime preventive measure. That article explained how the development of a conceptual model can be used to quantify and predict crime displacement within the concept of time and space. 2.5 Crime Indicators and Attractors The threat of crime to the community is threat to the safety of the society and the sense of security of the residents; and it is also believed to have major impacts on neighbourhood stability, urban and economic development, education, social integration and the perceived quality of life. Today, crime and disorder are often viewed as the main cause of the declining effect of many inner city neighbourhoods. The Fear of crime is sometimes regarded as being detrimental to the society as crime itself. Most crimes can be prevented if the signs are clearly understood and read, and indeed all crimes show crime indicators and signs before they occur. Some of the known crime indicators include: à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Level of crime. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Fear of crime. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Crime victims as per cent of population. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ The safety of pedestrians walking alone at night. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Crime rate. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Property crimes. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Percentage that decreased park use due to fear. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Number of Neighbourhood Watch groups. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Domestic assault reported per 100,000 populations. (http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/Database/PublicSafety.html) The above are just a few crime indicators; crime indicators are also influenced by location, economic activities, weather conditions and the level of security, etc. According to Spellman (1993), in an economically distressed neighbourhood, the abandoned houses and apartments can become hangouts for thieves, drug dealers, and prostitutes. Inquisitively, does CCTV surveillance recognise these indicators? 2.6 CCTV and the fear of crime. Gafarole (1981), in a paper presented more than twenty years ago supporting Furstenberg (1972), made an observation that has proven to be the understatement of the decade for researchers studying the fear of crime. It was observed thatthe relationship between a crime and its consequences is neither obvious nor simple. His observation was more correct than it was twenty years earlier, despite the fact that the knowledge about the causes and consequences of fear of crime has increased steadily over the years. Every advance that was made, whether by refining concepts, specifying and testing relationships, obtaining more comprehensive data or by some other means, seemed to generate more questions than it answered. After a preliminary discussion of concepts and indicators, a model of the causes and consequences of fear of crime was presented while the components of the model were described in the light of what was already known about the fear of crime. Although the question about the fear of crime has been a major issue with the policy makers and the public (Farrall et al. 2000). The concept of safety can be influenced by a range of different factors so is it with the fear of crime .e.g. Sarno et al., (1999) stated that the presence of CCTV does instil an atmosphere of safety while Ditton (2000) found that one of the positive impact of CCTV is linked to the positive views about CCTV (e.g. Spriggs et al., 2005) Surette (2004) reviewed and discussed the shift to computer enhanced self-monitoring CCTV surveillance systems of public spaces and the social implications. His findings showed the main differences between the first and second generation surveillance i.e. the change from a dumb camera (requiring the human eye for evaluating its images) to a computer-linked camera system which evaluates its own video images. Second generation systems therefore would reduce the human factor in surveillance and address some of the basic concerns associated with the first generation surveillance systems such as data swamping, boredom, voyeurism and profiling. Although additional research is needed to assess CCTV surveillance, the adoption of computer-enhanced CCTV surveillance systems should not be an automatic response to a public space security problem neither should their deployment be decided simply on the availability or cost. In summary, the report has provided a concise overview of the concerns associated with the first generation CCTV surveillance and how the evolution of computer-enhanced CCTV surveillance systems will alter and add to these concerns before a system adoption or installation. 2.7 CCTV Evaluations. Welsh and Farrington (2009) gave a recent review and analysis on the effectiveness of CCTV on crime in public spaces. He evaluated forty-four cases which met the inclusion criteria and the results showed that CCTV caused 16% decrease in crime within the experimental areas when compared with the control areas. The research was motivated by the quest to measure the effectiveness of CCTV schemes in car parks, which caused a 51% decrease in car park crime. CCTV schemes in most other public areas had a small but non-significant impact on crime with a 7% decrease in the city centres and in public houses. Public transport schemes had greater effects with a 23% decrease in total, but these were relatively insignificant. Conclusively, the evaluation showed that CCTV Schemes in the United Kingdom were more effective than other countries such as the USA, based largely on the studies in the car parks. Although Tilley et al (2004) suggested that the use of CCTV increased the risks of being identified and captured as a criminal, Wright and Gibson (1995) added that having the local police and CCTV operators working hand in hand would further help in tracking down suspects and offenders. In the Early years, Ekblom (1986) emphasized that CCTV should be targeted on craved items and pocket-able goods in retail stores to supplement the effort of store detectives. Using the HMV store in Oxford Street as a case study, he discovered that store detectives can cub store theft with the joint effort of CCTV operators. Several studies noted that crime often declined in the months prior to the installation of cameras. After cameras were fully operational, crime might continue to drop for a period as long as two years ( ). Crime would then begin to increase again. As suggested in the literature, this phenomenon is due to publicity or a lack of publicity. The greatest amount of publicity often occurred prior to the installation of the cameras. This was the time when crime levels begin to drop. If CCTV programs were continuously publicized, their effect on crime would remain steady otherwise crime and criminal behaviors would begin to increase as the effect of CCTVs disappeared. According to a brief on the effect of CCTV in 2002 at the Parliament Office of Science and Technology, there was a debate on the changes in recorded crime before and after CCTV camera installation. It was concluded that CCTV was unlikely to reflect crime accurately since not all offences are reported to or recorded by the polic e. Local surveys of crime may provide more accurate measures. 2.8 CCTV and crime displacements. Repetto (1976) speculated that one or more displacements can occur together at the same time while he identified six types of displacements (tactical, situational, spatial, temporal and perpetrator). He defined spatial displacement as the movement of the same crime from one location to another. This is quite different from his definition of tactical displacement when an offender uses a different strategy to commit the same crime. He also defined temporal displacement as when the same offence is committed in the same area but at a different time. This type of displacement is time-oriented. Target displacement was explained when an offender becomes selective in choosing different victims within the same area. Finally, functional displacement operates when the offender changes from a particular crime to another within the same area. Reppetto (1976) then concluded that Displacement refers to the shift of crime either in terms of space, time, or type of offence from the original targets o f crime prevention or interventions. Weisburd et al (2006) argued that crime has the potential to occur when three factors suitable for a crime are present within the available time and space (Cohen and Felson, 1979). However to further expatiate; neglecting the causes of crime such as unemployment and illegal drug would render any intervention ineffective. On the contrary, if the issues of unemployment and drug misuse are addressed, offenders may look elsewhere for a different target area in most cases areas without interventions and thereby leading to crime displacement. Alternatively however, diffusion of benefits to surrounding areas may occur as a result of the intervention. This would depend on the success of the intervention in apprehending offenders. Young et al (2006) researched into crime displacements in Kings cross where views from the streets were used to highlight the impacts of CCTV and policing activities on visible street behaviours. The presence of CCTV surveillance cameras created the fear of being caught on camera thereby contributing to a change in street behaviours by the pedestrians. The data used in this research reflected the cessation of criminal behaviours on the streets. However, the presence of blind spots (areas not accessible to CCTV) are often the areas with high rates of anti-social behaviours. It was concluded that CCTV surveillance cameras do not actually deter crime but rather they are more effective in providing visual evidences in the prosecution of criminals. Such information is handled by law enforcement agencies. Gill and Turbin (1999) studied the effect of CCTV and its effectiveness in a retail store, concluding that this may lower the attitude and vigilance of shop staff where CCTV is seen as th e all- perfect panacea against shop theft or crime, as further buttressed by Beck (2006) on reduction in the degree of vigilance within the store. Nevertheless, the absence of CCTV in local areas was a pre-requisite for crimes such as stealing (Beck, 2006). Gill and Spriggs (2005) wrote a review on the significant crime movements that could be observed clearly from the report on the evaluation of 13 out of the numerous CCTV projects that were put in place by the Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) initiative. The focus was to identify any form of spatial displacement in the schemes that were evaluated. Two techniques, which involved an experimental approach and GIS in assessing any changes in crime trends. The primary aim was to identify any form of displacement and if any could it be as a result of CCTV intervention?. The results showed little proof of displacement. Getis et al (2000) however reviewed the modern techniques of crime analysis with regard to the research and educational challenges outlined by the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. More attention was devoted to the role that crime analysis currently and potentially played in reducing crime and improving the efficiency of police activities. The main aim w as to stimulate an interest in promoting crime analysis in the advancement of crime mapping and visualization. 2.9 CCTV and Geographical Information System (GIS) Williamson et al. (2000) took an experimental approach and regression analysis as a statistical procedure for analysing temporal crime trends over different periods. Few years later, Ratcliffe (2005) used the nearest neighbour test to identify crime pattern movements between two periods. Both scholars, Williamson et al (2000) and Ratcliffe (2005) used GIS and statistics in their research to provide a powerful tool for understanding the spatial characteristics and the impact of crime reduction measures. Levine (2008) added some other techniques based upon the analysis that could be valuable in hotspot detection. Generally therefore, it appeared that some crime types were predicted more successfully by using the Kernel density which was used for predicting crime hot spots (Chainey et al.,2008a). General comments Note that et al is always written in italics 2. Note that any significant result statement must have the appropriate reference(s) quoted against it Note that person pronouns (I or We) are rarely used in dissertation reports, this is often avoided by employing indirect tenses, e.g. the CCTV coverage zones were studied on two consecutive days should be written instead of I studied the CCTV coverage zones on two consecutive days See under your Introduction: consider whether it was wise to have introduced cctv at all. Has it removed th anxiety of 1980s that originally necessitated cctv era? You can discus your personal opinion from your findings Gather from your literature review the main findings of previous workers that closely resemble your work and identify and relate their own achievements to clearly bring out what you have contributed to the literature of this field. Discuss the appropriateness of the methodology you adopted in comparison with similar others (if any) from your literature review and why you chose it and not the others. You may talk about what you would have better achieved if all the camera spots data were released to you by the Sheffield Information Dept. What else can you discuss from your own intelligence and as a UK licensed driver on cctv traffic offences. Find relevant references that you can use within your results and discussion section to support your findings e.g. on the crime displacements from central /darnall wards 7/9 to wards 6, 13, 2, etc., or deprivation-linked crime environments, etc. Well-done and good luck, my dear; dont look at the work but focus at the Glory-to-God praises on that day and the peace-covenant future awaiting you and your family. 1.3 Closed Circuit Television in Sheffield. The first cameras were installed in 1996 prior to the Euro 96 football competition for which Sheffield was a host city; the cameras were primarily installed to monitor transport links within the city centre rather than to monitor crime scenes. It was not until four years later that more cameras were installed to help prevent and detect crime, in consultation with other services such as the South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport (SPT). They were installed in areas that were potential crime hotspots. It is also clear that the major camera network is extensively installed in the city centre and along the major transport links into the city. Presently, Sheffield City Council has 133 Cameras as at the 1st of July 2010 compared with only 60 cameras in July 2000 indicating an increase of 73 cameras installed in 10 years. In 2001and 2003, 11 Cameras each were installed while in 2002, 26 Cameras were installed at each tram stop; in 2004, only 1 Camera was ins talled in Burn greave while in 2005, 5 Cameras at Eyre Street were installed and in 2006, none was installed. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, a total of 17 cameras (10, 4 and 3 Cameras, respectively) were installed at Millennium Square/ Bus Lane/ Exchange Gateway, Ring Road Urban Traffic Control (UTC), and Granville Square/Bus Lane respectively. Currently in 2010, a few more cameras were installed using funds from the Governments Street Crime Initiative (Devonshire Green/The Wicker), the New Deal for Communities Board (Burn greave), Manor/Castle Development Trust (Park Hill) and Charter Row in the city centre (Single Regeneration Budget, Round 6). And cameras were also installed at Super tram stops from the city centre to Meadowhall terminus, parts of Tinsley and parts of Darnall and the city centre (Sheffield City Council, 2010). More developments are expected in Eyre Street and Sheaf Square. The cost of maintaining and monitoring these cameras are ridiculously high, a summary is detailed below; The total Monitoring Costs = à £474,600.00 The total Maintenance Costs = à £198,037.00 Therefore the maintenance Costs per Camera is à £1,489 per year i.e. each camera costs à £3,568.42 to monitor per year. Despite the high cost of maintenance of CCTV, one of the most sophisticated and digital closed circuit television system in Sheffield is known as Sheffield Wide Image Switching System (SWISS), shown in Fig 2 which is still being used at an advantage in crime reduction. Fig. 2: SWISS IN ACTION IN SHEFFIELD. (Courtesy Sheffield Town Hall). Although the objective of creating SWISS , some of which include the prevention of crime and the provision of evidences against offenders to support crime tracking and prevention and then to help the traffic management or assist in the Automatic Number Plate Recognition initiatives to track vehicles used in criminal activities. However, in view of the cost of maintaining and monitoring these CCTV cameras, incorporated into a system known as SWISS, it would be useful to know if the Big Brother is actually watching the streets. 1.4 Crimes in Sheffield. It was recorded that there was approximately 90% reduction in the number of steel workers employed between 1971 (45,100 workers) and 1993 (4,700 workers). According to Taylor et al (1996), about 10, 000 jobs were lost into the mining industry between 1994 and 1996. With this rapid increase in unemployment, crime rate has increased in certain areas in and around Sheffield , already identified by the SYP force as High Intensity Crime Areas, largely more to the part of the northeast of the city. It is estimated that about 60 000 people live in this area which includes the wards of Manor, Darnall, Brightside, a large area of Burngreave, and parts of Castle, Firth Park, Intake, and Nether Shire. These are, in fact, some of the most deprived wards in England. These wards are known to lack good health, educational awareness, and lack good housing facilities. Notwithstanding the presence of High Intensity Areas, according to Simmons et al. (2003), Sheffield is still believed to be one of the safest areas in the United Kingdom. (National Statistics, 2003). 1.5 Crime Indicators and Attractors. The threat of crime to the community is threat to the safety of the society and the sense of security of the residents; and it is also believed to have major impacts on neighbourhood stability, urban and economic development, education, social integration and the perceived quality of life. Today, crime and disorder are often viewed as the main cause of the declining effect of many inner city neighbourhoods. The Fear of crime is sometimes regarded as being detrimental to the society as crime itself. Most crimes can be prevented if the signs are clearly understood and read and indeed all crimes show crime indicators and signs before they occur. Some of the known crime indicators include: à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Level of crime. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Fear of crime. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Crime victims as per cent of population. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ The safety of pedestrians walking alone at night. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Crime rate. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Property crimes. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Percentage that decreased park use due to fear. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Number of Neighbourhood Watch groups. à ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¢ Domestic assault reported per 100,000 populations. (http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/Database/PublicSafety.html) These are just a few crime indicators mentioned above; crime indicators are also influenced by location, economic activities, weather conditions and the level of security, etc. According to Spellman (1993), in an economically distressed neighbourhood, the abandoned houses and apartments can become hangouts for thieves, drug dealers, and prostitutes. Inquisitively, does CCTV surveillance recognise these indicators? 1.6 CCTV Surveillance and the Human Error. However, to start with, does CCTV identify crimes? The long hours spent monitoring CCTV surveillance cameras and reviewing the tapes allow the human error factor to set in. No one seems to be an exception to the vulnerability of the unconscious influences and causes of a tired eye. Fig.3 shows a CCTV operator gazing consciously on a camera at close range. For how long can he gaze without missing the most vital indicator to show a crime as just occurred? Fig. 3: CCTV OPERATOR IN CCTV CONTROL ROOM. (Courtesy, Google Images, 2010). Heather (2005) has explained that the police rarely use the Public CCTV to immediately react to crime but only use it as hard evidence for prosecution and prediction. At the Urban eye expert conference few years ago, it was clear that the UK police officers had other priorities than reacting to CCTV nuisance calls for antisocial behaviours. The huge number of cameras in the UK and the broadcasting of these images on television have made petty crime and antisocial behaviours visible to the public. However because most criminal behaviours were recorded and made live, they became impossible to ignore. However Virilio (1998) explained that visual image is easily forgotten due to the speed of the visual image and the excitement of visual information and acquisition. The use of CCTV by the Police is for evidence collection and to search relevant clues for other crimes committed in the area e.g. suspects arriving and parking their cars or other movements linked to another neighbouring crime. As the police employ CCTV image for prosecution, others are exploring how CCTV can be linked into a predictive or preventive system, which is beyond the established practice of making a video camera visible for deterrence. It is correct to say that mobile CCTV has been very useful in acquiring hot spots images. Though it has been assumed that CCTV displaces crime, it is quite subjective if we could base our facts on mere assumptions (Surveillance-and-society,2010).
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