Author: Roy Coleman
ISBN No: 1-84392-077-8
Review date: 04/05/2024
No of pages: 278
Publisher: Willan Publishing
Year of publication:
Brief:
Coleman received his PhD (Surveillance, Power and Social Order: A Case Study of CCTV in Liverpool) in 2002.
Reclaiming the Streets, clearly based on the author’s doctoral research, is a serious, thoughtful and though provoking book. It cannot just be picked up and scan read, it requires commitment from the reader; but rewards that investment by being one of the most important current contributions to the study of CCTV. In every regard therefore, this is a significant publication and for security professionals involved in major public area surveillance systems it should be required, if not at times rather uncomfortable, reading.
The book studies the introduction of CCTV in Liverpool. It may be a cruel observation but recent discussion regards CCTV has seemed to focus upon the fact that it works, in certain circumstances, for certain crimes, for certain people. This book significantly expands any such consideration of CCTV far beyond just its crime detection and prevention role: for example, its place within the context of the wider regeneration of towns and cities. As such the book considers the nature of who decides, who buys and who pays for large-scale CCTV and comments on the relationships and power-plays that exist within the partnerships that now ‘govern’ the streets and consequently the people.
Any such comment is bound to consider and be influenced by politics. This vein of political thought runs throughout the book and any reader will no doubt quickly understand the specific political position taken by the author. As such the book is critical of a number of arrangements and policies underpinning and managing public area surveillance schemes: for example the ‘criminalisation’ of street traders and young people. Such a critical look may not sit happily with all readers, for example the short references to radio links amount to an unfavourable comment on the operation of a scheme whose relationship with CCTV deserved more detailed consideration. Still, for security professionals it is important that they understand, as far as they are able, differing perspectives on the nature and inter-play of relationships that support and commission such large systems, particularly such a challenging perspective.
Martin Wright
