Police use of public video surveillance in Germany 1956: Management of traffic, repression of flows, persuasion of offenders

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

Every technology has its history. What are the beginnings of public television? This article explores the use of police CCTV in West Germany between the 1950s and the 1970s. In these early years, the public police cameras served three functions: the use of cameras in traffic management; the repressive use of cameras at demonstrations; and the persuasive use of the images. The second part of the paper takes a closer look at the third function: surveillance images as a means of persuading offenders of their guilt. It is argued, that a persuasive force exists and is consciously exploited by the police. But this force also weakens over time, when subjects acquire more and more media competence. The police respond to this problem with the transition from still to moving images – and beyond.

Object Details

• ISSN: 1477-7487
• Extent: Seite(n): 43-47
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Surveillance & Society, 6(1)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Technik, Technologie ; Soziologie, Anthropologie ; Technikfolgenabschätzung ; Kriminalsoziologie, Rechtssoziologie, Kriminologie ; Bundesrepublik Deutschland ; Verkehr ; historische Entwicklung ; Medienkompetenz ; Observation ; Verkehrsvermeidung ; Kontrolle ; Video ; Verkehrsaufkommen ; Polizei ; Technikfolgenabschätzung ; Aufzeichnung

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Kammerer, Dietmar
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (when): 2009

Further information

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v6i1.3403
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST