The trend toward mandated use of security cameras by private businesses – ranging from high-rise offices to mom-and-pop saloons – has drawn praise and criticism. The praise comes from law enforcement and city officials and the largest businesses that see crime-fighting value in cameras or have already installed them. The criticism comes from small businesses, chambers of commerce and privacy advocates objecting to the cost of installation and operation as well as the perceived invasion of privacy.
Driving some of the push to require more cameras on private facilities is the attraction of networking public and private video monitoring for crime prevention and homeland security needs.