Often, the idea to deploy surveillance cameras does not occur independently. There could be some impetus that causes leaders to realize their community or business could be better protected with a camera setup providing around-the-clock monitoring. According to KRQE, the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has recently launched an investigation into the viability of a surveillance setup following a number of break-ins.

Problem and solution

According to the news source, the particular problem afflicting Santa Fe is break-in robberies. Both vehicles and homes have been targeted, in a struggle that has been played out over a long period of time. Some of the main danger spots for crime may not be crowded areas in the city center but rather the parking lots leading to nature trails. Visitors to the natural attractions leave their cars parked for a long time, making them a likely target for crafty burglars. Having several potential problem areas in the city means that each gets less police attention.

"We have trails, we have business districts, we have parks, and the police can't be everywhere all the time," said the city's mayor, David Coss, according to the source.

The scale of the camera project is one of the main questions circling its development. According to KRQE, proposals range anywhere from 38 to 200 cameras. Coss told the source that residents' privacy concerns were unfounded, as the plan is set to only include public places and not be monitored actively. Rather than having officers watch the cameras at all times, Santa Fe officials hope to use them to help solve incidents.

Big stage

Surveillance has emerged into the worldwide consciousness recently as viewers turn their attention to the London Olympics. London operates one of the most widely-known security camera networks in the world, with thousands of components in place. USA Today reported that several U.S. agencies have taken ideas from the London model. One of the turning points came, as the source noted, when British officials were able to determine the sequence of events that led to 2005's deadly public transit bombings.

According to the source, the camera model has caught the eye of prominent police figures in the states. Ray Kelly, commissioner of the New York Police Department and William Bratton, former chief of police in Los Angeles, were said to be early converts to the CCTV model.