WTF | October 06, 2009 | 9 comments

Crimes means prizes: CCTV game launches online

source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6862398.ece

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starfish1982
A new 'competition' that takes advantage of the millions of CCTV cameras dotted around Britain has been launched on the web. Called "Internet Eyes," the scheme gives Joe Public the chance to spot crimes and win cash prizes!

Subscribers will reportedly pay a fee to join the scheme, which is being trialled in the crime hot-bed of Startford-upon-Avon, ad will then be given up to four cameras to monitor. And there's money to be won for the nation's most vigilant "curtain-twitchers."

Urgh! This is surely horrendous, not only does this sound like a cheap alternative to employing highly skilled and qualified security officers but now your neighbours could cash in on any small misdemeanor of yours, such as putting glass in your plastics recycling bin.

Or am I over-reacting? Is this just neighbourhood watch 2.0? Will this BUILD communities and reduce crime?
  1. groups:
    WTF,   Webmash,   Odd News
  2. tags:
    Crime,  CCTV,  1984,  George Orwell
  3.     
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9 comments // Crimes means prizes: CCTV game launches online

  • Skyscraper08
  • stevieuk
  • frizzlecat
    • 0
      frizzlecat  

    • Well, at Uni, me and my flat mates would frequently spend our time sitting in the lounge/kitchen by the window smoking dope. We'd be there for bloody ages until the sun came up sometimes, just talking and watching the world outside, it was pretty good. We saw so much crime happening out the window, at weird hours of the day and night, but could never phone the police in case they needed to see us for statements and stuff. There were some rotten little kids going around smashing car windows, right outside our student block, and I just knew us students were getting blamed for all the nearby crime. Skip fires, as well, had to call the fire brigade. Rotten kids, but what can you do, eh? Roll another joint, and forget about it, that's what. Seemed to work pretty well.

    • 2 years ago
  • sophosthegreat
    • 0
      sophosthegreat  

    • I can see your points, but bear in mind that most towns employ people to monitor these type of cameras anyway. I actually believe that they will hand out so few prize money awards that they will save on hiring someone to do it.

    • 2 years ago
  • munkimatt
  • AnnieMole
    • 0
      AnnieMole  

    • You're not over reacting starfish1982. I can see people inventing crimes just to cash in on this. Horrible quote from the guy that set this up: "I wanted to combine the serious business of stopping crime with the incentive of winning money."

      It sounds like something out of 1984 or at least a comedy satire of it.

    • 2 years ago
  • Gravity_Man
    • 0
      Gravity_Man  

    • When people get tired of being watched by cameras they'll develop a convex mirror device to burn them out from a distance. That will be the end of that.

    • 2 years ago
  • capolia
    • 0
      capolia  

    • Oh my goodness, with all the curtain twitchers in my street i'd be afraid to breathe incase they were bout to report me for somethin!!!

    • 2 years ago
  • richjm
    • 0
      richjm  

    • Couldn't you team up with a mate who owned a shop, get filmed pinching a can of baked beans, have another friend pay their pound and report you, then spilt the £1000 prize money between the three of you?

      You'd have to trust your shop keeper friend not to press charges for a laugh though so it's not an entirely flawless plan.

    • 2 years ago
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