UkCrime
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CCTV overload in London not as effective as previously hoped?
While London, along with other parts of the UK, has long since been smothered by CCTV cameras and other forms of surveillance, a new report put out by the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly suggests that all these watchful eyes may not be curbing crime. Dee Doocey, the Liberal Democrats spokeswoman, was quoted as saying that figured obtained in the study comparing the number of cameras in a given borough "with the proportion of crimes solved suggests there is no link between a high number of CCTV cameras and a better crime clear-up rate." Close to £200 million ($401 million) has purportedly been spent on building such an elaborate CCTV network, but this study noted that it still wasn't "entirely clear if some of that money would not have been better spent on police officers."[Via Wired]
Tracking sensors could hit school uniforms
Just a day after getting wind of those Kevlar-lined uniforms, it seems that English parents may want to monitor their kid's location throughout the day just to be cautious. Reportedly, a uniform manufacturer in England is "considering adding satellite tracking devices to its clothing range so parents will always know where their children are" -- a move encouraged by a recent survey that found some 44-percent of mums and dads to be "worried about the safety of their children." As expected, youngsters under the age of 12 didn't seem to mind the idea all that much, but teenagers were purportedly "more wary." C'mon, we all know the grown-ups just want to make sure they catch us skipping, right?[Via CNET, image courtesy of GreatForSchool]
Kevlar-lined clothing a hot commodity in London
It's no secret that rashes of violent crime in London have been plaguing the city for some time now, but some parents are going to Kevlar-lined extremes in order to protect their offspring whilst away from home. Reportedly, orders for Kevlar-infused school uniforms and casual wear have skyrocketed of late, as school-aged stabbings seem to be on the rise. Notably, plenty of orders are coming in from the States as well, and while Deputy Asst. Commissioner Al Hitchcock claimed that merely "one-percent" of crimes around London involved a knife, mums and dads would seemingly rather be safe than sorry.[Via Wired]
England's helmet camera initiative to go countrywide
As if the police and traffic wardens across the pond didn't have enough gadgetry to unwillingly tote around on the job, the Home Office is reportedly set to dole out £3 million ($6.1 million) "to equip police forces across the country with head camera technology." The decision has been made after earlier trials supposedly resulted in a reduction in violent crime, increase in arrests and convictions, and best of all, "less paperwork for the police." Notably, a set of guidelines will recommend that cops inform the culprits that they are indeed being taped, but that the footage won't end up on C.O.P.S. without their expressed written consent. Wait, we thought that human police in England were being phased out?[Via The Register]
