CCTV cams in UK, now with loudspeakers

American civil libertarians would do well to keep out of the UK. Now, on top of the more than 4 million video surveillance cameras blanketing The Kingdom, seven of the 158 CCTV cams in the Northern town of Middlesbrough have been fitted with loudspeakers. Do something "anti-social" and prepare for an earful of reprimand from the camera operators. As Jack Bonner, who manages the system, gloats: 'It is one hell of a deterrent. It's one thing to know that there are CCTV cameras about, but it's quite another when they loudly point out what you have just done wrong." As you might expect, yobs who cease their misanthropics will be acknowledged with a polite "thank you" from our well-mannered special friends. How sweet. And if they continue? Well, it's just a matter of time until the Ministry of Love's robots will be dispatched for collection.

[Via Slashdot]

[Milestonesystems.in @ Feb 20th 2009 7:22AM]

That is a good way to alert the criminals and to give the affected civilians hint or warning of the criminals or crimes.

John
CCTV in Chennai

[Milestonesystems.in @ Jun 30th 2009 6:15AM]

ha...ha... it is new and interesting.... how they can use the speakers.... i don't know...

suresh

CCTV in Chennai

[Chris Doidge @ Sep 18th 2006 8:04AM]

Unfortunately for the Daily Mail (who claimed they are) Talking CCTV cameras aren't new. We've had them in my town for over a year (yes, in the UK too).

[snesgirl @ Sep 18th 2006 8:04AM]

as a UK resident this disgusts me.
How long before we have 'Ministry of truth' Officers patrolling the streets.

Talking CTV?. How Chilligly Orwellian

[Richard @ Sep 18th 2006 8:05AM]

This isn't 2006 it is 1984

[weaze @ Sep 18th 2006 8:09AM]

i love this country

[scemmo @ Sep 18th 2006 2:24PM]

It's wierd how the British, so proud of their contribution to freedom and democracy, are so easily persuaded that the police state is good for them.

[Mikey @ Sep 18th 2006 8:12AM]

haha, wow. Its all coming together

[will @ Sep 18th 2006 8:13AM]

cctv cameras at schools often get fitted with this, if not a speaker, just a little buzzer. This makes the chav's with caps look up and show their bling infested faces to the camera, the idiots that they are.

[Jamie @ Sep 18th 2006 2:09PM]

Now that is funny!

[my_name_is_tudor @ Sep 18th 2006 8:15AM]

It strikes me that this will lead to yobs going to lengths to make the cameras shout at them, just for kicks.

How long will it be before someone arrests one of these CCTV rigs for being 'anti-social'? Shouting and filming my every movement doesn't seem very 'social' to me.

[Mark Thomson @ Sep 18th 2006 8:38AM]

I live near middlesbrough and its about bloody time! what are they going to shout though?

[Pete @ Sep 18th 2006 8:25AM]

they are actualy some in dragonville in county durham

[Vini @ Sep 18th 2006 8:28AM]

read about this yesterday, bit strange if you ask me.

[CB @ Sep 18th 2006 8:33AM]

1984 is the greatest book ever written, I relayed this story to my workmates and everyone of the said
'what a good idea'

[Ian @ Sep 18th 2006 8:39AM]

In my local town in the UK, we have loudspeakers here and there, but not on CCTV.

Troublesome youths were such a problem hanging in particular places in town, loudspeakers were fitted. These loudspeakers just play classical music all the time, and the youths no longer hang around in these places anymore.

[Kansei @ Sep 18th 2006 9:44AM]

YES! that's good stuff. My neighbors employ that same tactic as part of our little "neighborhood watch" system. There's always classical/nordic music playing in the streets :P

[Maff Mace @ Sep 18th 2006 8:42AM]

Hope they get them in Leeds soon, fed up of all the dirty Chavs hanging around trying to intimidate people

[Grizz @ Sep 18th 2006 8:45AM]

"Hey you in the red shirt, i saw you picking your nose and im going to post it on youtube!"

[13squared @ Sep 18th 2006 8:52AM]

Is there an actual 'problem' to go with this 'solution'? i.e. are there marauding thugs all over the UK or what?

[William McIntyre @ Sep 18th 2006 9:05AM]

Actually it is a rather big problem in the UK, almost everywhere seems to be blighted by these idiots.

[Ian @ Sep 18th 2006 9:48AM]

Well, if you read the Daily Mail, then you'd most definatly believe so. With all those yobs, single mums and immigrants that the newspaper warns us about.

[DR BUZZ0 @ Sep 18th 2006 9:00AM]

Hmmm.. What kind of things could you expect to come blaring out of these loudspeakers? Perhaps it could be helpful or even welcome?

"Excuse me. You. Yes. You in the red jacket. Your fly is down."
"Hey. Guy with the tie. No not you. Other guy. Yeah you. You're trailing toilet paper on your shoe. Might want to fix that"
"Hey! Whatch out! You're about to step in....oh nevermind...too late"

[AJ @ Sep 18th 2006 9:07AM]

Now to just get the 1812 Overture playing out of said speakers all over the city, ala V for Vendetta!

[Ashley Allen @ Sep 18th 2006 9:07AM]

I think it's a good idea. Not only does it sort out little thugs but the opportunity for comedy is huge. Fart Noises, Bomb scares, Tacky Marriage proposals, Football scores for Men who've been forced to go shopping, tricking people into thinking your god.... Superb.

I don't know why people get in such a fuss about this, if your not doing anything wrong it's not going to affect you.

[Gil @ Sep 18th 2006 10:06AM]

Wrong! It's just power in the hands of the ruling group and less power in the hands of normal people.

Even if the rulers are benevolent if they become untouchable how many terms do you think it will take until someone who is not benevolent will replace them and rule using the iron grip of these systems?

[biscuitus @ Sep 18th 2006 9:38AM]

i dunno... maybe instead of monitoring, geezers need excitement. simple common sense.

[tims @ Dec 31st 2006 6:15PM]

simple common sense

[chaymation @ Sep 18th 2006 9:41AM]

I went to university in Middlesbrough. If anywhere needs these things its "The Pit" as it's "affectionately" known.

A friend of mine got mugged in the street because he had a big tub of fizzy cola bottle sweets under his arm.

By a group of 11 year old.

[PsychePsyche @ Sep 18th 2006 9:43AM]

At AJ:

"A Yellow Coded curfew is now in effect. Any unauthorized personnel are subject to arrest. This is for your protection."

[Zach Wilt @ Sep 18th 2006 10:04AM]

Anyone seen (or read) V For Vendetta?

[TC @ Sep 18th 2006 10:27AM]

I wouldn't want one of these outside my house. Bad enough being woken up by noisy yobs at 1am without being woken up by the quiet ones as well...

[zedwards @ Sep 18th 2006 10:34AM]

I would LOVE to be at the other end of that speaker. "stop that lollygagging you wipper snapers!"

Sorry, but am i the only one who loves the fact we are living in a sci-fi novel? Resistance is futile.

Chicago has these all over the place now...except they are worse because they have a pentopticon inspired blue strobe light on them so they can be seen for a few blocks.

People need to start getting creative instead of frustrated by loosing their liberties.

[Mark @ Sep 18th 2006 10:45AM]

Might it play the 1812 overture?

[zoara @ Sep 18th 2006 10:56AM]

I remember waiting for a tram in some city in the UK (I forget which one). There were a couple of kids riding bikes up and down the (very narrow) concourse and causing people to have to dodge out of their way.

Then there was an announcement over the tannoy (usually used for announcing arrival times and destinations of the trams). It sounded like it was accidently broadcast (but I'm sure it was deliberate); they said something like "Incident report on [name of stop], youths on bicycles causing problems with pedestrians. Please inform Police".

They vanished very quickly. No harm done to any party, very little effort expended. I actually support this kind of thing despite being uncomfortable with the whole CCTV situation.

[brownopher @ Sep 18th 2006 11:40AM]

How freaky would it be if they started using voice changers to lower the tone of the announcer to increase responsiveness? Like having darth vader demand your compliance.

[Alex @ Sep 18th 2006 12:28PM]

mmm hmm. im my town (corydon) we have the highest number of cctv camera's in england... kinda weird to know that when your out on the highstreet your allways being watched

[whatnext @ Sep 18th 2006 12:44PM]

whats happens when those cctv and megaphones dont work anymorel... in the way people dont care about them and keep fighting or whatever...then they send big guys with no morals with big big sticks... and then what happens if that doesnt work... soon youll be stuck in your tiny 6 by 4 cell ... oh but you wont be in prison... that will be your living quarters... with cctv and megaphone built in for free. and a nice big guy with big stick in the closet just incase the cctv and megaphone doesnt work..

what next.. people dont think about what next anymore...

[housetier @ Sep 18th 2006 12:29PM]

People had good ideas for more positive use of these speakers. But still I feel bad about this; it's like someone peeking over your shoulder all the time "whatcha doin? whatcha doin?"

I would resolve to extreme violence after about two minutes...

[Revels @ Sep 18th 2006 1:46PM]

Next: Gun emplacements

[tiuk @ Sep 18th 2006 1:01PM]

It's hard to believe it's coming to this.

[rkolsen @ Sep 18th 2006 1:43PM]

Baltimore already has them, this is the link of them being announced, http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/5347261/detail.html .

[LukeA @ Sep 18th 2006 2:56PM]

Do the cameras tell you to get a haircut?

(Fahrenheit 451, sort of)

[dave @ Sep 19th 2006 11:26AM]

These wouldn't fly in the US.
There are too many shotguns.

[GioNYC @ Sep 18th 2006 3:23PM]

"ATTENTION ALL PEDESTRIANS, YANKEES 8, BOSTON 4, Top of the Fifth, YOU MAY NOW GO BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE DOING"

[Osiris @ Sep 18th 2006 4:12PM]

I can understand people's distrust of methods like these but i do think they can be very helpful in certain situations.
Deterring antisocial behaviour, helping to stop it while it's occuring, and also recording the behaviour to help identify those commiting crimes are all good reasons to have these.

Besides, if you're out in the street, you should be expected to be observed, after all there are plenty of other people who will see you, why should a camera make much difference?

I'm sure these are only mainly being installed in busy and trouble spots, not residential areas.

I welcome them, I hate chavs.

[Abe @ Sep 18th 2006 7:24PM]

haha...voice changer, think Civil Protection

*ksshh* Move along citizen, nothing to see here. *ksshh*

[Vasco @ Sep 18th 2006 9:32PM]

Well its not like the Brits are having sex in the street or anything (or are you? O.o).
Either way, the streets belong to the government and IMO, they should be able to police them as they wish.
As long as the government doesn't use these things to track regular people, then we'll have nothing to fear.

Unfortunately, the technology is only as innocent as the people using it, so hopefully there will be some kind of safeguards in place.
But overall, I think that these cameras will make people feel more safe. You'll just have to get used to Big Brother (or Big Sister, as you guys have it over the pond there) watching your moves in public.

[T @ Sep 20th 2006 2:11PM]

Don't get all this "how Orwellian" shit. You do all realise people were already watching the cameras don't you? They're not there for show. How is the fact that the cameras have speakers attached more of a privacy issue? If anything it's less of one because it makes you aware you're being watched. As for CCTV in general that's a whole other argument.

[Gary @ Oct 27th 2006 12:46PM]

Talking CCTV, the way forward?!

www.wespyu.com