It has become increasingly common to see security cameras in stores, banks, and in other public locations. These security systems are generally used to avert shoplifting, robbery, or other crimes, or to capture the offender on film if a crime is committed. There are other types of camera surveillance as well.
Camera surveillance systems are attached to traffic signals in some places in order to photograph traffic violations. Common violations include running red lights or the failure to wear a seatbelt. A ticket may then be sent to the offender even if a police officer was not around to pull him or her over and issue a citation.
Camera surveillance is used on many school campuses and even on school buses. This is intended as a deterrent to violence, drug use, and other types of misbehavior. There are those who find such approaches controversial. Some citizens don’t feel that they or their children should be watched preemptively. Others are more comfortable with camera surveillance as a means of keeping order, hoping it will act as a deterrent and may also help catch and punish more wrongdoers.
Camera surveillance systems designed especially for the home have become popular tools as well. These are sometimes referred to as “nanny cams,” which may be hidden around the home in a décor element or even inside a toy. A nanny cam allows parents to observe their children’s caregivers in action. Such tools may also be used to observe other service providers that spend time in the home while the owner is away. This type of camera surveillance has been used on many occasions to prove abuse or neglect by caregivers or theft by others who work in the home.
There are spy cameras that may be used for similar purposes, although they can also be used to capture different kinds of misconduct. Such surveillance might be used to catch someone having an affair, to detect an employee stealing from a company, or to observe someone committing another kind of crime. Camera surveillance has documented unsanitary restaurant practices and other industry violations as well.
A camera may be used to monitor someone who claims to have disability. That person may then be observed doing things he or she claims to be physically unable to do. This type of camera surveillance has been used on a number of occasions to prevent or to prosecute fraud.