The Importance of CCTV in Preventing Terror Attacks

The world is still reeling from the terrible terror attacks on Las Ramblas in Barcelona on the 17th of August. 13 people have lost their lives and at least 130 were injured in the senseless act of terror. In times like this, it’s easy to think that the world is a dangerous place and to want to hide away. Fortunately, a CCTV system is designed to act as a preventative measure and can be used to identify perpetrators and bring them to justice. Take this example from 2007.

In the current global climate, there has never been a better time to invest in a CCTV system – not just to protect your business – but to protect the greater society as well.

CCTV helps to identify perpetrators before they can strike again.

cctv footage of barcelona suspect
CCTV footage of Abouynaaqoub courtesy of El Pais

Barcelona attack suspect, Younes Abouynaaqoub, was identified via CCTV footage of the incident. As the police now have a suspect to pursue, there is a greater likelihood that he will be apprehended before he can act again. CCTV footage also can be used as evidence during trials and increases the chance of prosecution.

Find out more about CCTV

Potential Deterrents.

CCTV has long been lauded as a way to deter criminals from committing crimes in the first place. The same is true of terrorists. Terrorists are less likely to strike in places with visible CCTV; acts of terror often require that the terrorist stake out the place before committing the act. Terrorists will be aware of CCTV and the possibility that they have been caught on camera suspiciously staking out a place. This makes them less likely to commit the terror attack in a place with a heightened security presence due to the possibility of them being stopped and arrested before being able to commit the attack. Take the case of Khalid Mohammad Omar Ali – the would-be terrorist with the bag of knives -who was arrested near Downing Street in May.

Don’t be tempted to opt for dummy cameras.

We’ve explored why dummy cameras are no substitute for the real thing before. Any criminal worth their salt can tell the difference, and they can’t be used in court as evidence because they don’t act as real cameras at all. It’s definitely worth investing slightly more money into protecting your business and society at large, especially in the current global climate.

Stay safe. Contact us now.

If you’re worried about the security of your business and think what you could do with increasing it, why not get in touch? Veritech is committed to keeping business owners and the general public safe and here is the video how our CCTV works: