Law Enforcement Cameras – Necessity or Dystopian Nightmare?

Today we can hear more and more often that the methods of law enforcement should move on together with time and apply new technologies in everyday use. One of the most obvious examples of such methods is placement of cameras in the streets, in public buildings, in apartment houses and so on, so that the police could easily locate and control all kinds of criminal activity without the necessity of any police officers being present on spot.

It is said that it is criminals who should be afraid of such a measure, not honest people; but then why there is so much dislike towards this hi-tech method?

Because people understand, at least subconsciously, that the border between law and crime is much vaguer than it may seem. What if today we praise the installation of law enforcement cameras and tomorrow government will outlaw something that we are all used to and consider to be integral part of our lives? Who can guarantee that the very same cameras won’t be used to spy on us even today? Who can be sure of himself being in the government’s good books?

Nobody, of course. Even if we want the crime to be under control and surveillance, we don’t want anybody to look over us, for subconsciously we feel that it isn’t right. Won’t the next measure introduced be the security cameras in private apartments, just to ensure everybody’s security, of course? Or tracking devices implanted in people’s bodies for their own good?

The state doesn’t know how to stop when increasing its control. Allowing even such a little thing, we risk one day to wake up in an Orwellian hell.