Many defenders of privacy and civil liberties were dismayed when the city of London installed CCTV--a network of 10 thousand television cameras designed to monitor activity on almost every street in the city. The reason for this large Orwellian expenditure was that the cameras would deter crime and assist in apprehending criminals.
The results are in; a recent government study found that only 3% of street robberies are solved and crime rates on the streets of London are soaring. Apparently the criminals do not even attempt to hide from the cameras; they just wear disguises or masks. One would think that the authorities would have foreseen this possibility. Or maybe the authorities just enjoy voyeuristic spying on ordinary citizens.
Perhaps, "authorities" in other locations will not repeat London's folly.
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