Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An evaluation of CCTV in a car park using police and insurance data

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Security Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A non-monitored closed-circuit television (CCTV) pilot project commenced at the Scott Road Skytrain Station Park and Ride in Surrey, BC in August 2009. The pilot project was implemented by the City of Surrey and scheduled for 1 year. This article reports on an evaluation of the CCTV system with respect to its ability to reduce vehicle-related crime at the pilot site. Using police and insurance data, the evaluation considers the trends of vehicle-related crimes over several years in the City of Surrey and the northern district of the Corporation of Delta, BC. In general, there is little evidence of a significant drop in vehicle-related crime that can be attributed to the CCTV system. Moreover, we show that the results are dependent on the methods used for evaluation; this is critical because we show that a more commonly used method (that we consider inappropriate) indicates a significant drop in vehicle-related crime.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. We would like to thank Paul J. Brantingham for this insight.

References

  • Barclay, P., Buckley, J., Brantingham, P.J., Brantingham, P.L. and Whin-Yates, T. (1997) Preventing auto theft in commuter lots: A bike patrol in Vancouver. In: R.V. Clarke (ed.) Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies, 2nd edn. Guilderland, NY: Harrow and Heston, pp. 143–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • BCStats. (2010) Population estimates – Municipalities, regional districts and development regions: 2006 to 2009 [data file], http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/DATA/pop/pop/estspop.asp#totpop, accessed 22 February 2010.

  • Boggs, S.L. (1965) Urban crime patterns. American Sociological Review 30 (6): 899–908.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brantingham, P.J. and Brantingham, P.L. (2003) Anticipating the displacement of crime using the principles of environmental criminology. Crime Prevention Studies 16: 119–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brantingham, P.L. and Brantingham, P.J. (1995) The criminality of place: Crime generators and crime attractors. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research 3 (3): 5–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castle, A. (2008) Criminal theory lesson #1: Fear, victimization, and the real rates of crime. Why is public perception so different from reported crime rates? (Interview between Allan Castle and Belle Puri aired on Monday, 18 February 2007). CBC special series: Neighbourhood 911 http://www.cbc.ca/bc/features/neighbourhood911/programming.html, accessed 28 March 2007.

  • City of Surrey. (2007) City of Surrey Crime Reduction Strategy, http://www.surrey.ca/Inside+City+Hall/Your+Mayor+and+Council/Crime+Reduction+Strategy/default.htm, accessed 28 March 2007.

  • City of Surrey. (n.d.) History of Surrey, http://www.surrey.ca/6555.aspx, accessed 22 February 2010.

  • Cornish, D.B. and Clarke, R.V. (eds.) (1986) The Reasoning Criminal: Rational Choice Perspectives on Offending. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cornish, D.B. and Clarke, R.V.G. (1987) Understanding crime displacement: An application of rational choice theory. Criminology 25 (4): 933–947.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CTV News Staff. (2002) Surrey named car theft capital of North America, http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20020907/bc_car_theft_020907/, accessed 16 March 2012.

  • Eck, J.E. (2005) Evaluation for lesson learning. In: N. Tilley (ed.) Handbook of Crime Prevention and Community Safety. Portland, OR: Willan Publishing, pp. 699–733.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fotheringham, A.S. and Wong, D.W. (1991) The modifiable areal unit problem in multivariate statistical analysis. Environment and Planning A 23 (7): 1025–1044.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gehlke, C.E. and Biehl, K. (1934) Certain effects of grouping upon the size of the correlation coefficient in census tract material. Journal of the American Statistical Association Supplement 29 (185): 169–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gill, M., Little, R., Spriggs, A., Allen, J., Argomaniz, J. and Waples, S. (2005) Assessing the Impact of CCTV: The Hawkeye Case Study (Home Office Online Report 12/05). London: Home Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gill, M. and Spriggs, A. (2005) Assessing the Impact of CCTV (Home Office Research Study No. 292). London: Home Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harries, K.D., Stadler, S.J. and Zdorkowski, R.T. (1984) Seasonality and assault: Explorations in inter-neighborhood variation, Dallas 1980. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 74 (4): 590–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, C. and Bottril, D. (2009) Corporate report to mayor and council: Closed circuit television pilot project – Scott Road Skytrain car park, http://www.surrey.ca/bylawsandcouncillibrary/R177-510B.pdf, accessed 10 April 2012.

  • Magnan, B. (2008) Statistics disguise true crime levels. The Vancouver Sun, 30 January, http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=1aed0a18-df48-4bcb-a5ca-d2706e1bbf16, accessed 28 March 2010.

  • Maltz, M. (1977) Crime statistics: A historical perspective. Crime and Delinquency 23 (1): 32–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Openshaw, S. (1984) The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem, CATMOG (Concepts and Techniques in Modern Geography) 38. Norwich, UK: Geo Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piehl, A.M., Cooper, S.J., Braga, A.A. and Kennedy, D.M. (2003) Testing for structural breaks in the evaluation of programs. Review of Economics and Statistics 85 (3): 550–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pittman, D.J. and Handy, W.F. (1962) Uniform crime reporting: Suggested improvements. Sociology and Social Research 46 (2): 135–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Police Services. (n.d.) British Columbia policing jurisdiction crime trends 1998–2008, http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/police_services/publications/statistics/Jurisdictional_Crime_Trends_1999-2008.pdf, accessed 24 March 2010.

  • Poyner, B. (1997) Situational crime prevention in two parking facilities. In: R.V. Clarke (ed.) Situational Crime Prevention: Successful Case Studies, 2nd edn. Guilderland, NY: Harrow and Heston, pp. 157–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratcliffe, J.H. (2001) On the accuracy of TIGER-type geocoded address data in relation to cadastral and census areal units. International Journal of Geographical Information Science 15 (5): 473–485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratcliffe, J.H. (2004) Geocoding crime and a first estimate of a minimum acceptable hit rate. International Journal of Geographical Information Science 18 (1): 61–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sellin, T. (1931) The basis of a crime index. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 22 (3): 335–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellin, T. (1957) Crime in the United States. Life Magazine, 43, 09 September.

  • Sherman, L.W., Gartin, P.R. and Buerger, M.E. (1989) Hot spots of predatory crime: Routine activities and the criminology of place. Criminology 27 (1): 27–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W.G. (1975) Measurement problems in official and survey crime rates. Journal of Criminal Justice 3 (1): 17–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skogan, W.G. (1977) Dimensions of the dark figure of unreported crime. Crime and Delinquency 23 (1): 41–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada. (2006) Criminal Victimization in Canada, 2004. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

  • Tibbits, C. (1932) Crime. American Journal of Sociology 37 (6): 963–969.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tilley, N. (1993) Understanding Car Parks, Crime and CCTV: Evaluation Lessons from Safer Cities, Crime Prevention Unit Series Paper No. 42. London: Home Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisburd, D., Wyckoff, L., Ready, J., Eck, J., Hinkle, J.C. and Gajewski, F. (2006) Does crime just move around the corner? A controlled study of spatial displacement and diffusion of crime control benefits. Criminology 44 (3): 549–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welsh, B.C. and Farrington, D.P. (2009) Public area CCTV and crime prevention: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Justice Quarterly 26 (4): 716–745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zyartuk, T. (1994) Scott Road worst for crime. The Surrey Now 12 October: p.1.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Paul J. Brantingham, Greg Jenion, Colleen Kerr, Lance Talbott, Sgt Tom Thompson and Katie Wuschke for their help and comments on earlier drafts of this article. We would also like to thank the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the Transit Police for the provision of data. Lastly, we wish to acknowledge Bonnie Fisher and two anonymous reviewers whose comments have significantly improved the quality of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminology, Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, V5A 1S6, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Andrew A Reid & Martin A Andresen

Authors
  1. Andrew A Reid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Martin A Andresen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin A Andresen.

Appendix

Appendix

Table A1

Table A1 Descriptive statistics, police data and theft of vehicle
Full size table

Table A2

Table A2 Descriptive statistics, police data and theft from vehicle
Full size table

Table A3

Table A3 Descriptive statistics, ICBC data and theft of vehicle
Full size table

Table A4

Table A4 Descriptive statistics, ICBC data and theft from vehicle
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reid, A., Andresen, M. An evaluation of CCTV in a car park using police and insurance data. Secur J 27, 55–79 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2012.14

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2012.14

Keywords

Search

Navigation