Significance of CCTV in our Society

“We are the most spied-upon nation in the world, with some of us caught on camera hundreds of times a day. Incredibly, no one seems to mind.” (Brendan O'Neill 2006)

German Engineer, Walter Bruch, was responsible for the installation of the first Closed-Circuit Television system. It was used in Germany in 1942 to observe the launch of V-2 Rockets. The first commercial CCTV system became available in 1949 named ‘Vericon’ in the United States; it is most remembered for not requiring a government permit. During the 1980s video surveillance became popular; recording evidence of criminal activity was seen as a cheaper way to prevent crime rather than increasing police departments. Digital multiplexing which allowed several cameras to record at once first began in the 1990s; this spread the use of CCTV across the country. 

On average in the UK there are 1.85 million cameras, which is an average ratio of 1 camera to 32 people. CCTV is used for many different purposes, most significantly for surveillance. The word ‘surveillance’ is French for “watching over”. They are connected to a recording device and watched by a security guard. Surveillance cameras are useful for government and businesses to maintain social control and monitor threats. Security cameras are installed in prisons to minimise costs as less staff are needed to observe all areas. In the late eighteenth century, social theorist Bentham designed the Panopticon prison which allowed someone to observe all the cells from a central tower, without them being able to tell that they were being watched. Through technological developments Bentham’s vision became the modern form of CCTV. 

Security cameras have appealed to a wide market to deter people from theft and robbery; they have been implemented in towns, city centres, stations, airports, car-parks, estates, banks, casinos and shops. CCTV has an extensive network of purposes, including traffic monitoring where motorways have implemented systems to detect congestion and accidents, speed cameras to check people are abiding by the law and transport safety so that the operator on a bus or train can observe whether the doors are clear before closing them. 

The CCTV concept is very powerful in terms of the psychological effect it has on the public. For instance, signs stating that ‘CCTV is in Operation’ automatically brings it to their attention, making them feel conscious of being watched, thus fearing to do wrong. It is a controlling system as it simply takes a camera present for the public to question their actions. Even if the CCTV camera is not working, which is sometimes the case, then essentially it is a dummy camera, but this does not change the public’s perception as they are unaware of it not working. It proves how psychologically powerful it is as instantly the pubic associate a camera with being watched, and it is this concept which is implanted into their minds. Moreover, it reassures the public, for those who may be at a station late at night, it psychologically makes the public feel safer and more secure.  On average people are captured on 70 different CCTV cameras everyday. 

Identity plays a huge role in CCTV; images are released in the press to help police identify suspects. A renowned case whereby toddler James Bulger was abducted and murdered by two ten-year-old boys in 1993 marks a momentous time for how essential CCTV footage is. One of the killers was caught on camera holding the toddlers hand and leading him out of the shopping centre. This proves how CCTV plays such a crucial role in crime investigation as it helps to confirm an individual’s identity as well highlight details such as time and location. This accumulates the context of the situation at hand, helping investigators make their conclusions.

CCTV systems are set up in public places but some people feel that the CCTV technology misuses people’s human rights as it invades their privacy. This is presented in the reality television show ‘Big Brother’ where cameras are installed everywhere, and the contestants every move is recorded in the public eye.  This can be deemed as Voyeurism, which means spying on people engaged in intimate behaviours, such as undressing.  Big Brother in the past has also publicised scenes of a sexual nature, however this is not against their human rights as they have signed a contract in agreement.

It is clear from the variety of uses and purposes, that a security camera plays a major role in society. Cameras are set up to protect society as well as control it; they are in effect the eyes of the law, making people be self-policing as they fear to break the rules.   

Elections

Background
Parliament can run for a maximum of five years, but before an election the Queen must dissolve it; it can be dissolved at anytime. If the government loses a vote of confidence in the commons an election can be triggered. Jim Callaghan lost by one vote in 1979, so Thatcher came to power.

The Coalition government has passed a law fixing the date of elections for every five years, the next general election is on 7th May 2015 (definitely a date for the diary!) Up until now the Prime Minister fixed the date of elections. Since 1935 if has been traditional to hold them on a Thursday.

Voting
In order to vote you have to be registered on the electoral register in your constituency. You're not automatically registered even if you pay council tax. About 45 million people are registered as follows:
England - 37,912,549
Scotland - 3,885,148
Wales - 2,262,769
Northern Ireland - 1,134,983
(Source BBC)

Citizens who live overseas can vote, but out of the estimated 5.5 million, less than 15,000 actually do.
You are not allowed to vote if you are under 18, a member of the House of Lords, a European Union Citizen, a Citizen of any country apart from the Irish Republic and common wealth countries or if you are in prison serving a sentence.

Representation of the People Act
1918 - Men 21+ and Woman 30+
1928 - Universal suffrage - All adults 21+
1969 - All Adults 18+

Even if you have the right to vote, you do not have to as it is compulsory, unless you like in Australia.

Tactical voting - Some people vote tactically, meaning they try to stop the party they dislike the most rather then support their first choice.


Winning
First past the Post is simply who ever wins the majority votes is elected. This means that national voting percentages are not regulated in seats and the election comes down to marginals because most of the votes in safe sets are wasted.

Proportional Representation is a more complicated electoral system, it is where the number of seats won by a party is proportionate to the number of votes received.

Each candidate must pay a deposit of £500 so that not any old hooligan wanting some air time applies. If they gain at least 5% of the votes cast they will get their money back.

Spoilt ballots are immediately disqualified. Votes will be rejected for no mark or if more then one candidate has been marked. There will be a recount if the result is too close.

Spread the word - Jeremy Bamber is Innocent

I'm doing my part to campaign for Jeremy Bamber's Innocence by helping spread the word.

The CCRC appeal submissions have been completed and we can only await and pray for Bamber that their decision will bring justice.

Please follow his twitter @bambertweets  and keep up to date with his blog at http://jeremybamber.blogspot.co.uk/ or have your own say at http://jeremybamberforum.co.uk/

Watch the Tonight Programme on 29th March at 7:30pm on ITV1 - Details of latest evidence to support Jeremy's case.

Growth of Political Parties

The 19th Century was a time of revolution. The rotten boroughs changed the population and demographics in places such as Manchester and Liverpool. The Reform Act 1832 signaled a shift of representation towards the towns and towards the North. The repeal of the Corn Laws caused a shattering change as it was the end of the Tory Vs Whig system and the start of the Liberals and Conservative party. The working class got to vote in the second half of the 19th century due to electoral reform and steady increase of the franchise acts.  (Representation of the People)

Post WW1 brought about the rise of the Labour Party. The General Strike occurred in the year 1926.
The first 'proper' Labour government was established in 1945 after WW2. It had many social democratic reforms towards the NHS, Keynesian Economics and Trade Union rights. This was also a time where the British Empire began to decline.

William Beveridge promised national insurance "from cradle to grave", this was a golden moment for Labour. However, in 1970 disaster struck for Labour, which the British media titled as the 'Winter of discontent' (1978-9). This was a time of widespread strikes from many local authorities, such as grave diggers and train drivers, who were all demanding a pay rise.

In 1979 Margaret Thatcher won the general election and became Prime Minister. Thatcher attacked the miners; the miners strike was the biggest confrontation between unions and the Thatcher government. She was committed to reduce the power of trade unions and cure the nation from this "British disease", and this is what she achieved. The miners lost and returned to work humiliated in 1985. The unions declined drastically after realising the strength of the state, and lengths they were willing to go to to defeat them.

John Major then become Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party in 1990.  By the mid 1990s the Tories including MPs and Cabinet Ministers were involved in ongoing "sleaze scandals", this was a boom time for tabloids. This proved to be too much for Major and he resigned in 1995 and was re-elected as Party Leader. Defence minister, Johnathan Aitken claimed he would fix the twisted journalism and sort the newspapers out with his "sword of truth". The Guardian reported that he was taking bribes, however, he denied these accusations and was later sentenced to imprisonment for perjury and perverting the court of justice.

The rise of the "new" Labour was seen as a reformed leadership, Tony Blair was elected in 1997. Blair's government introduced the Human Rights Act and Freedom of Information Act, both of which are extremely significant for journalists. In 2007, Blair resigned and Gordon Brown took over power.

From 2010 to present we have a coalition government, which is formed by Tory David Cameron and Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg.

Max Weber

THE BIG 4
1. Marx (class ideology, economics)
2. Neitzshe (morality, culture)
3. Weber (Power, legitimacy, culture)
4. Freud (sexuality, irrationality, sub-conscious)

Max Weber's most significant point is rationalisation, he believes that western civilisation rationalises everything, which counteracts Freud's opinion as he believes this is impossible.
Weber differentiates goal-rational from value-rational, he says that rational actions are not always taken to further ones goal, as an aspect of moral value comes into play without always thinking about the end result.
Goal Rational = A means to one end
Value Rational = The end sanctifies the means'
An example used in Weber's online lecture, is if you lie it may effectively be to further ones goals but in actual fact it violates moral value as you are not telling the truth.

After Karl Marx 1848 (Communist Manifesto) and 1871 (Paris Commune) there was no revolution, there was a rise in the German state and social democracy.

Weber like Marx is a Kantian - He believes as humans we can not know the objects in themselves, and that there is no absolute reality; only a mental picture. There are ideal types of social organisation including socialism, nationalism, liberalism etc, these ideal types are compared to the social reality. Weber holds there is no absolute knowledge, but it is possible for us to be honest and hold reasonable beliefs.


Weberian Analysis: 
There are four fundamental types of Social action
1. Instrumental/rational action - we take this action because we think it is a good idea and we want to.
2. Value-rational action - we take this action because we value it
3. Affectual/emotional - we take this action because of emotional reasons towards it.
4. Traditional - we take this action because it is seen as the normal thing to do in society.

Domination = Authority + Legitimacy
There are three types of authority figures:
1. Traditional - Those who have always been respected e.g parents, police, teachers etc.
2. Charismatic - Those who we follow e.g Jesus, Hitler etc.
3. Legal Rational  - Those who have a high rank in society e.g politician, judges etc

Bureau derives from the french word meaning desk, which extends to office. Bureaucracy is where rules (decisions) are conducted from an office.

Bureaucracy is a servant of government. Not only government services have bureaucracies though, political parties, churches, education bodies, private businesses etc all do too. They all have professional staff to communicate and keep record.

Bureaucracy is the division of Labour applied to administration. Weber regards bureaucracy as an important cause in the development of Capitalism. See Marx.
In Modern countries, rulers can now send messages through a bureau whereas in the middle ages kings ruled from horseback. Weber points out that armies have been bureaucratized. Napolean had to watch the battle from horseback and have staff officers gallop off with written messages. Whereas, modern generals will receive and send messages, and armies now have 'general staff'.

Weber labels the 'Ideal type' for bureaucracy as someone who will commit to the job full time, life time.  They also have to be educated recruits with credentials.  A modern bureaucrat is given a sufficient salary and job security otherwise people would not stay in the job full time for life. Bureaucrats do not own the 'means of administration' e.g computers and files, similar to how soldiers do not own their weapons and teachers do no own what they use. Bureaucrats must have a fixed salary, therefore they must not have any other source of income apart from a salary, or they won't reliably be following the rules. Reliable following of rules is regarded as the highest value in a bureaucracy.

National Politics

Fair comment is a defence journalists can use to express their opinions, with the expectation that your comment is in the public's interest, without malice and without being defamatory and invading people’s private life. (Human Rights Act) When writing for newspapers, the print is biased depending on whether they are right or left wing. However, when writing for TV or Radio you must be balanced towards both parties.

John Wilkes is one of the only Journalists to have a statue in London. He is classed as a Hero for establishing Statutory Qualified Privilege for reporting on Parliament. 

Westminster: Qualified Privilege allows Journalists to report about anything said in the House, but sub-judice rule and contempt need to be taking in to consideration. The rule that the Royals cannot be mentioned is also firmly implemented. Voting in the House of commons is called a division, the parties try to enforce the way MPs vote by whipping. Whips are the parties "enforcers" they discipline and threaten party members with punishments to ensure they secure a vote.

In the House of Lords, all new laws must be approved by both Houses of Parliament, with the exception of tax raising measures which are for MPs to decide upon. Peers are not elected and do not represent constituencies. They are not paid a salary though they can claim expenses. Peers are also not allowed to vote on change to taxation and finance. Peers never have the final word. Amendments must be agreed by both Houses. If there is disagreement then the Lords do no have the power to reject legislation, it can be over ruled by the government’s use of the Parliament Acts. 

Hansard is the official report of the proceedings of Parliament, published daily. Here is the link below:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhansrd.htm

The Dreyfus Affair

The Dreyfus Affair was a political scandal that divided France in 1890's. Captain Dreyfus was convicted in 1894 and sent to Devils Island after the army held a secret court martial and found him guilty of treason. He was stripped of his military rank and sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly communicating French military secrets to the German Embassy in Paris. Evidence of this was found in a waste-paper basket in the German Embassy, and supposedly Dreyfus was guilty because his handwriting 'looked similar'. Dreyfus pleaded "I didn't do this, it's not me, it's not me", he was framed because he was bright, intelligent, Jewish and from Alsace.

Two years on, in 1896 an officer looked into the case and found that the evidence was wrong and the real culprit is Esterhazy. This was covered up and ignored as he was acquitted on his second day of trial.

The famous French Journalist, Emilie Zola, wrote the article J'Accuse (I Accuse) which accuses the government of anti-Semitism and the unlawful jailing of Dreyfus. All the names of those involved in the scandal were exposed. Zola was tried and convicted of Libel, he was also fined and sentenced to prison in 1898, but to avoid this imprisonment he fled to London.

The army recognise a weakness of the case and more documents are created and forged by officer Hubert-Joseph Henry. Once he was discovered, Henry slit his throat in prison. Those on the right* see him as a hero and praise him for his 'Patriotic forgery'.

Right = Anti-Dreyfusards - The Army, Catholic Church and Monarchist
Left = Dreyfusards - Republicans, Socialists and Jews

In 1899, Dreyfus was brought back from the island a broken man. He was found guilty a second time with 'extenuating circumstances'. Eventually all the accusations against Dreyfus were found to be 'baseless' and he was released in 1906, he then served during the whole of World War I.

Radio Bulletin Assignment

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Whitney Houston was found dead at her hotel room in Los Angeles.

Paramedics failed to revive the singer after she was found unconscious in her bath.

An autopsy is due to take place, but it will take eight weeks for toxicology tests to confirm whether alcohol or drugs are involved.
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Bus Operator Bluestar is introducing more buses to benefit commuters on the Winchester to Southampton route.

From February 26th there will be an increase of four buses an hour during peak times, compared to the usual three.

Winchester locals proposed how they will benefit from this improvement.

Audio Cut
In words: “I would think that…”
Out Words “…around Winchester nowadays”
Duration ‘0.23’

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Shoppers in Winchester deem the high street market to be a good thing.

Tourism South East surveyed more than 200 locals and visitors on their opinion.

Around 95% of shoppers including visitors and residents agreed that the market made Winchester more enjoyable.

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A new designer gift shop has opened in Winchester.

Friends Sadie Marsh and Claire Vine decided to open Shop and Make after years of planning.

They aim to showcase the work of Winchester-based designers.

Audio Cut
In words: “Shop and make has been…”
Out Words “…whole host of things”
Duration ‘0’19’
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And finally,

A Winchester couple are running the London marathon to raise money for the Meningitis Trust.

Mr and Mrs Harvey aim to raise around £3000 for a charity close to their hearts.

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The Innocence Project - Neil Warner Case and CCRC Conlusions

Mr Warner was convicted of murdering an elderly couple on 19th March 1991. The stabbings occurred during the night of 21st-22nd July 1989. Mr Pool was stabbed 23 times, and Mrs Pool 11 times, she also had signs of salvia on her breast suggesting there was sexual intentions. Warner claims he was only in the house for 5 minutes, and his only motive was to steal.

On the 11th February 2003, Warner requested an appeal as he stated that there was no scientific evidence to link him with the upstairs premises, and that the blood stained man outside requesting a taxi should be further investigated. The Full Court dismissed his application to appeal as they concluded the evidence was 'formidable' and that the blood-stained man was not connected with the incident as he requested a taxi on 21st July, whereas the murders were not committed until two hours later, around 2am.

In June 2003, Warner applied to the Criminal case review commissioner (CCRC) to review his case, as he persisted that no forensic evidence linked him to upstairs. Under section 19, they reviewed the six unidentified finger and palm prints, concluding the front porch mark as Mr Smiths. However, the report concludes that there is no further evidence other than that one fingerprint, so this enigma rules him out from being a suspect.  

The CCRC commissioned the Forensic Science Service (FSS) to examine tapings from the clothes which belonged to Neil Warner against fibres found on the items upstairs. The FSS revealed that the fibres from upstairs were ‘indistinguishable’ from the jumper he was wearing on the night of the crime. Warner admitted to leaving the jumper where it was found downstairs, after he used it to wipe the fingerprints off the window. The fibres from this jumper were also found on items from upstairs such as the pillow case, duvet, tights, skirt and shirt. This evidently overturns Warner’s claim that he was never upstairs. In addition to this, the remaining DNA components were originated from one person, which forms an incomplete profile matching the DNA profile of Neil Warner. The Section 19 investigation further strengthened the case against him, reinforcing the fact he was guilty. Warner was acting suspicious the morning after the murder, he washed his jeans and went to Morpeth taking the footwear he wore on the night in question with him. Mr Knox who lived in the caravan with Warner claimed he returned around 2.45am, this would correspond with the time of death and highlight the fact Warner lied when he said he returned around 1am. The commission therefore does not accept that there is any evidence to argue his case that the murders were committed by another person other than Warner himself.

 I agree with the final decision for not referring Warner to the Court of Appeal as there is strong evidence to prove he is guilty. It is not possible that the fibres could have been contaminated as the police carried out necessary steps ensuring each item was sealed individually in plastic bags. The CCRC will only refer a conviction to the Court of Appeal if there is a real possibility the conviction will be overturned. In Warner’s case all forensic avenues were explored, reinforcing that there was no evidence to suggest he was innocent.