Detektor TV met up with Eric Piza at the conference #TrygghetNU in Stockholm. Erik Piza was the key note speaker at the conference. He says that video surveillance can prevent crime but it depends on a lot of contextual factors, such as the environment where the cameras are installed.

He says: “It is also very important how the police use the cameras and their crime prevention potential, and if all of those decisions are made correctly, the answer is yes, video surveillance can prevent crime. If CCTV is part of a larger proactive effort by the police to prevent crime, that is when it seems to work best.”

Another important finding in recent research is that video surveillance can prevent crime within many areas. Eric Piza says: “Research now suggests now that CCTV can be effective in residential areas, and that is important to know because prior research suggested that video surveillance cameras were only effective in car parks”.