The Other View

Community Safety or Intelligence Gathering

It can be argued that C.C.T.V. (Close.Circuit.Television) cameras have with some success reduced acts of violence and criminal activity in most of the major cities in main land Britain. Closer to home Belfast, Londonderry and Dungannon are some of our towns and cities that have introduced C.C.T.V. cameras in an attempt to reduce violent activity within their city/town centres. Those responsible for implementing the installation of C.C.T.V. cameras in Londonderry claim it has ‘exceeded expectations’.

Of course intensified surveillance systems are nothing new to Northern Ireland and since the ‘Cease Fires’ and the’ Good Friday Agreement’ the media has covered various protests to see the dismantlement of the more visible ones, such as the Army ‘Watch Towers’ in South Armagh and the border regions.

Contrary to the dismantlement of ‘watch towers’ in rural areas the Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan in February of this year (due to the intensity of interface violence in North Belfast) called for C.C.T.V. cameras to be introduced into urban flash point areas and this was supported in April when Security Minister Jane Kennedy announced the proposal to put in place eighteen C.C.T.V. cameras across North Belfast.

Over the last few months the installation of cameras has taken place with mixed reaction from both communities. The debate or argument is fundamentally around whether the cameras provide and support community safety measures or process information for the security forces over and above the monitoring of and successful arrest of those who are primarily involved in violent activity.

There are concerns in both communities about the ‘Big Brother Syndrome’ (24 hour surveillance) and possible misuse of the information provided by C.C.T.V. cameras.

Many within the Loyalist/Unionist community fear that the installation of C.C.T.V. cameras at interface areas will only move the problem and create new ‘flash points’. But overall the installation of C.C.T.Vs. have been largely welcomed in the Loyalist /Unionist communities who feel more secure in the knowledge that the cameras, if monitored correctly, can provide the P.S.N.I. (Police Service For Northern Ireland) with the information to not only react quickly to sectarian attacks but also assist in identifying those responsible. Sadly this has not been the case when recently a young Protestant man was knocked down by a stolen car just yards from a recently installed C.C.T.V. camera (the P.S.N.I. is treating this as murder).

The installation of C.C.T.Vs adjacent to Nationalist /Republican communities has been welcomed in some areas by protest and violence, (there was an attempt to cut down the poles of C.C.T.V. cameras close to Ardoyne). Their objection is that they claim C.C.T.Vs are nothing more than ‘urban watch towers’ surveillance cameras solely there to gather information on the movement of individuals within their community.

More sinisterly, local representatives of Sinn Fein have argued that the cameras are ‘spy cameras’ which gather ‘intelligence’ which it is feared could be used in collusion with loyalists. While Republicans oppose C.C.T.Vs. and call for its removal because it, "invades privacy…and is only there to collect information on Catholics and Republicans" they have been quick in the past to use video cameras to film Loyalists at interface areas. Is this not an invasion of privacy? What do they do with this information? Is this for community safety or Republican security files?

Also in April of this year the Irish News carried an article where Republicans were considering the installation of C.C.T.V systems to prevent attacks on I.R.A. memorials. Maybe C.C.T.Vs are all right to protect republican property but not the property of ‘others’.

The Deputy Chief Constable Alan McQuillan has stated that he is sure that, "there are genuine concerns in sections of the community" and that he would be happy to meet with local representatives "to talk about the operation of this system and its safeguards". I believe that this is an invitation, which community leaders should take up.

The abuse of the privacy of an individual will always rightly be a concern and I believe a concern for both communities. But at present the perception of the Loyalist/Unionist community is that, "if you’re doing nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear". This continued protest against the installation of C.C.T.Vs., especially the recent damage to C.C.T.Vs on the periphery of Short Strand and Ardoyne which monitor the route taken by Orange Lodges marching into Belfast for the 12th July celebrations, increases the growing perception in the Loyalist/Unionist community that there are individuals/groups within the Nationalist/Republican community who are intent on increasing sectarian violence in interface areas and oppose C.C.T.Vs. solely because it will curtail their attacks on the Loyalist/Unionist community

Back to Contents