CCTV security cameras were once something of a rarity, with only high security risk businesses and areas using them. These days however it is difficult to walk down the street without seeing a camera on every building you walk past.

CCTV cameras are now used not only for maintaining the security of high risk businesses. You will find them on street corners, in shops - even small corner shops, on buses and at train stations and that's just for starters. Video surveillance systems are now being used for the safety of everyday people going about their business as well as to protect companies. While there are some good points to this, some people feel that the increasing number of cameras on our streets is infringing on our civil liberties as there is always someone somewhere watching where you are going and what you are doing.

The plus points to this have been proved many times, with camera operators being able to direct police to fights on weekend nights, or to help someone that looks in distress. They have also been able to prevent more serious crimes happening by monitoringyoung girls walking alone late at night who are being followed unknown to them. It is in cases like these where the police are deployed and potentially horrific crimes are prevented that the use of CCTV security cameras is hailed as a great thing and a fantastic way to protect public safety. However on the flip side they can be misused or a persons actions misconstrued, leading to humiliation or in the worst cases wrongful arrest for a crime that hasn't taken place but may have according to the camera operator. It really is a double-edged sword, on the one hand there are plenty of cases showing the positives of CCTV cameras, on the other there are plenty of cases to show that they cause more harm than good.

CCTV cameras are even being used in offices to monitor staff, to see how long they are taking for breaks and if they are getting up to anything that could be considered inappropriate. This is often seen as an infringement of privacy especially as there are always some bosses that will go too far with their placement of cameras. It is difficult to know where the line should be drawn with regards to the uses of CCTV cameras, and as different cases come to light the argument for and against their use swings from one side to the other, normally reaching an uneasy rest somewhere inbetween.

There will always be people who are against the wide-spread use of CCTV security cameras and there will always be people who think we can't have enough of them to ensure our safety. It is an ongoing debate which will only continue to rage as more and more cameras appear on our streets, in our shops and in our houses.