Camera Surveillance as a Measure of Counterterrorism?

Arbeitspapier

Camera surveillance has recently gained prominence in policy proposals on combating terrorism. We evaluate this instrument of counterterrorism as resting on the premise of a deterrence effect. Based on comparative arguments and previous evidence on crime, we expect camera surveillance to have a relatively smaller deterrent effect on terrorism than on other forms of crime. In particular, we emphasize opportunities for substitution (i.e., displacement effects), the interaction with media attention aspired to by terrorists, the limits of real-time interventions, the crowding-out of social surveillance, the risk of misguided profiling, and politico-economic concerns regarding the misuse of the technology.

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• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: WWZ Discussion Paper ; No. 2010/05

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; National Security and War ; Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
• Subject: Camera surveillance ; closed-circuit television (CCTV) ; public security ; deterrence ; terrorism ; Messtechnik ; Videogerät ; Terrorismus ; Öffentliche Sicherheit ; Schweiz

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Stutzer, Alois ; Zehnder, Michael
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Basel, Center of Business and Economics (WWZ)
• (where): Basel
• (when): 2010

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.5451/unibas-ep26668
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/123403