Does Video Surveillance Increase the Sense of Security?

Abstract

Despite little proven effect, video surveillance meets with a high level of approval among the population. The correlation found so far between the acceptance of video surveillance and the perception of safety appears plausible. The conclusion derived from this, according to which the commissioning of video surveillance would have to increase the feeling of safety among those with a lower sense of security, leads to a paradox when theoretically taken to its logical conclusion. The study therefore assumes that this correlation is based on a statistically spurious correlation. The approval of overt video surveillance in public spaces – according to the alternative assumption – does not follow the perception of security, but turns out to be an independent stable variable caused by third variables. A theory-based third variable analysis draws on the expectation of victimisation, the fear of crime paradox based on age and gender, an authoritarian attitude as well as trust in the police.