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While most people consider CCTV to be a modern innovation, it was actually invented in 1927. However, the technical advances since the launch of the first security system have been phenomenal.
CCTV is aimed at reducing all types of crime, from motoring offences to burglaries – and it works, according to the UK College of Policing. In areas where security cameras are installed, crime decreases on average by 13%.
History of CCTV
Léon Theremin, a Russian physicist and inventor, created the world’s first CCTV system, which was adopted by the Soviet government to protect the Kremlin in Moscow.
Using a wireless shortwave transmitter, a transmitting-scanning camera and a basic receiver that had a resolution of 100 lines; he demonstrated his CCTV system to key political figures, including Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin, who installed the revolutionary technology in strategic positions in the Kremlin’s courtyard.
The world’s first commercial CCTV system was launched in 1949 in the United States under the brand name Vericon.
The first UK surveillance cameras were installed in 1960 by the Metropolitan Police. Two cameras were erected in London’s Trafalgar Square to monitor tourists during a state visit of the Thai royal family in July and Guy Fawkes Day activities on 5th November.
The number of CCTV cameras in the capital increased significantly during the 1970s, when they were used to monitor the London Underground and highways traffic. Surveillance cameras at football matches appeared in 1975 to combat hooliganism.
In the 1980s, CCTV sprang up at local authority car parks and across Britain’s council estates. More advanced systems, including Robot Slow Scan 500, could transmit an alarm to controllers at a central location in the event of trouble.
Motorists were targeted nationwide during the 1990s, when the first speed cameras and traffic light monitoring cameras were installed. Britain spent 75% of its total crime prevention budget on increasing the number of surveillance cameras.
Almost all major city centres had CCTV by the end of the decade, with digital lines being used to transmit better quality videos to monitoring centres.
CCTV in the 21st century
In the 21st century, technology has improved rapidly, with facial detection systems developing in the early 2000s and a police national database being launched in 2009.
The internet has created an evolution in pictures, enabling HD-quality videos to be transmitted to multiple devices and locations.
Video footage can be sent directly to the emergency services by Remote Video Response Centres for an urgent response to incidents.
Many private households have their own CCTV systems today, as well as the latest wireless and doorbell cameras to monitor callers, even when you’re not at home.
According to the British Security Industry Association, there were around four million cameras UK-wide in 2013. By 2020, the number had grown to around 5.2 million and the latest figures suggest there could be as many as seven million today – data suggests there are around 940,000 CCTV cameras in London alone, covering 607 sq. miles.
Why is CCTV important?
The proliferation of CCTV cameras in recent times has led to criticisms and the accusation: “Big Brother is watching you.” This refers to English author George Orwell’s famous science fiction novel, 1984 (written in 1949), in which a dystopian and bleak picture of Britain in the future is painted.
The population are continually under surveillance in every aspect of their day-to-day life by Big Brother – an anonymous entity created by the ruling Party to remind them of this fact. In the book, the slogan, “Big Brother is watching you,” is published on posters to stop people from stepping out of line.
The phrase is widely used in the media in a negative way to suggest the authorities are watching the population in the same manner today. However, CCTV is important in the fight against crime. It reduces criminals’ opportunities to commit crimes, acting as a deterrent because there’s more chance they’ll get caught.
It also helps the police to catch wrongdoers, so less crimes go unsolved. Property and drug-related crimes have reduced by 14% and 20% respectively in areas where surveillance cameras have been installed.
While most of the public feel reassured by CCTV in public places, especially those where there’s a high crime rate, other people see this as an invasion of privacy. According to the College of Policing’s Pre-Intervention Public Attitude Survey, commissioned by the Home Office, around 17% of UK householders are totally opposed to its general use.
Improved technology
CCTV systems use PCB assemblies for complete functionality, including capturing, processing and transmitting the video surveillance data. PCBs integrate various components such as video processing circuits, image sensors, communication modules, storage interfaces and video encoding/decoding modules.
A typical PCB for the camera contains numerous crucial components, the key being the image sensor to capture light and transform it into electrical signals.
The PCB’s control integrated circuits control the image sensor’s operation and the lens’s zoom and focus functions. They process image data and manage communication with other components in the device.
Experts believe PCB assembly-based CCTV systems have even greater potential for the future, as advances in technology are driving the surveillance sector forward. The key is the integration of Artificial Intelligence, which will enhance operational capabilities further.
The AI machine learning algorithms will analyse the videos’ data to predict threats and identify anomalies, providing an intelligent insight into the appropriate proactive security measures for each application.
A PCB-based surveillance system will also perform cutting-edge analytics and decision-making to minimise latency, reduce bandwidth requirements and improve response time. This will ensure a rapid response to security incidents in real time, even in an environment with low connectivity.