Surveillance Day: German inventor Walter Bruch invented the first security camera, which Siemens AG put in Germany in 1942 to watch the launch of V-2 rockets.
August 16, is celebrated as surveillance day all over the world.
More and more people today believe that the whole surveillance matter has gone a little bit too far. If we are outside, no matter where we are or what we’re doing, there is a very high likelihood that we are being taped, especially in a metropolis.
Undoubtedly, surveillance cameras have contributed to the safety of several cities by recording a variety of crimes—from theft to vandalism to assault—and enabling the police to catch the perpetrators more quickly and efficiently.
But many people, especially those who wouldn’t consider committing crimes, find it unsettling knowing practically all of their acts are being watched. Some people have even gone so far as to say that surveillance cameras violate everyone’s right to privacy in an Orwellian manner.
City With Highest Number of Cameras
According to a Forbes report, Delhi has the most cameras placed per square mile. According to a study of 150 cities around the world, Delhi has the most CCTV cameras deployed in public areas. Forbes data says that Delhi has 1,826.6 cameras overall per square mile.
With 609.9 cameras per square mile, Chennai has been ranked third to claim third place. With 157.4 cameras, Mumbai took 18th place, according to the 2021 Forbes report.
Delhi now has more cameras per square mile than several Chinese cities, including Shenzhen (520.1 per sq mile), Wuxi (472.7), Qingdao (415.8), and Shanghai (408.5), among others.
In the same category, Delhi has also surpassed London (1,138.5), Singapore (387.6), New York (193.7), and Moscow (210).
Surveillance Day: History
German inventor Walter Bruch invented the first security camera, which Siemens AG put in Germany in 1942 to watch the launch of V-2 rockets. Vericon, the first commercial closed-circuit television system, was made available in the United States in 1949.
Because there was no method to collect and preserve data back then, the earliest video surveillance systems needed constant human supervision. Then, in the 1970s, the development of VCR technology made it possible to record and delete data, making the use of video surveillance considerably more useful and thus much more widespread.
In an effort to combat crime, Olean, New York was the first American city to deploy video cameras along its major commercial thoroughfare in 1968. A few years later, in 1973, cameras started to appear in New York City’s Times Square. The use of video surveillance grew across the nation in the 1980s, especially in public spaces. Banks and retail establishments, which were notoriously prone to theft, started putting in security cameras. In New York City, there were 3,000 CCTV systems in operation in 1998.
Today, surveillance cameras are also utilized for home and school security, traffic control, transportation safety, retail management, and traffic monitoring.
After the September 11th terrorist attacks, video surveillance in public locations increased in popularity in an effort to prevent further terrorist strikes.
How to observe Surveillance Day
Take a moment on Surveillance Day to smile and wave at the cameras that are all around you like little kids do when they see a train. The person who would watch the videos, later on, will probably find him or herself laughing as well. With all of the issues the world is experiencing, it’s wonderful to just let go and have a chuckle every now and then. Even for a little while, the world will be happier the more people do it!
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