VIDEO SURVEILLANCE IN THE FUNCTION OF CRIME PREVENTION IN PUBLIC SPACES

Abstract

Video surveillance in public spaces is recognized as one of the mechanisms for the prevention of security breaches, primarily the prevention of crime. The trend of commercialization and privatization of public spaces changed the characteristics of those places and created a „new ones“. Despite of it, further on in this document „public places“ will imply only those places available to everyone, unlimited and free of charge. After the conceptual definition of public spaces, the author points out security problems, and especially undesirable and/or sanctioned acts that may endanger the security, public order and peace and/or quality of public spaces. Finally, the author presents the mechanisms of prevention of security breaches, and in particular considers the video surveillance conducted by public institutions and the private sector in public spaces. Over the last few decades, video surveillance has been increasingly used in public spaces, while the expansion of video surveillance in the twentieth century, and especially after September 2001, has drastically affected citizens' right to privacy and freedom. In this context, the work will include the functions of video surveillance, and the benefits and limitations regarding the application of video surveillance in public spaces.