Hackney has more CCTV cameras than the whole of Wales, a new report has revealed.
There are 2,900 security cameras in the borough, concentrated in Shoreditch and Hackney Central where the majority of crime occurs.
However, it appears this dense surveillance network does not actually reduce the number of crimes committed, according to data from the Home Office.
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More than 27,000 crimes were committed in Hackney in 2015, making it the ninth most dangerous borough in London. Only 18% of those crimes were resolved, the third lowest resolution rate for all London boroughs.
A crime in Hackney was more than twice as likely to be solved in 2008/2009 than this year.
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The latest findings suggest that local authorities have reduced their spending on surveillance; between 2007 and 2011, the annual spending on surveillance in the UK was £128 million, but in the period 2012 to 2015, annual spending dropped to £92 million.
Renate Samson, Chief Executive of anti-surveillance thinktank Big Brother Watch, told the Evening Standard: “Privacy should be given as much weight as security,” and welcomed the reduction in spending.
“Should councils wish to invest in smart digital CCTV systems, we urge them to do so by proper consultation with local residents,” she added.
Tony Porter, a surveillance camera commissioner writing for the Big Brother Watch report, said: “The sums of money involved are massive and it’s important that those charged with delivering this service get it right.”
