Video Surveillance in the United Kingdom

UK

Public video surveillance in the UK began in 1986, on a single square mile industrial estate outside the English town of King’s Lynn.  Three CCTV video surveillance cameras were used and their impact was immediate, bringing the crime rate in that area to 0.  After that, cities and towns across Great Britain began using this crime prevention measure.  By 1994, over 300 jurisdictions in the country had installed some form of public video surveillance.

The British Security Industry Authority in the UK has estimated that there are currently 5.9 million public CCTV cameras.  This works out to an average of one camera for every 11 people in the UK.  On a typical day in the UK, the average person, in their normal day to day activity is seen by 70 CCTV cameras.