Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • The Security Leadership Issue
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Video Surveillance

Crowd-Sourced Surveillance: A Public Threat or a Public Service?

By Bob Liscouski
Surveillance Strategies Default
June 1, 2015

The past several months, more than any time in history, have highlighted the evolving role of surveillance in law enforcement, public safety and security. From the dramatic video of the terrorist attacks in France at Charlie Hebdostreamed to the world as they were occurring, to the crowd-sourced cellphone video and images recording police actions, both good and bad, surveillance has had a significant impact on the way we see the world around us.

 The public availability of video and its viral distribution have delivered some horrifying images of acts of terrorism, outraging the world and clearly illustrating the true evil of extremists regardless of their cause. This same media has also become a tool exploited by these same groups to use as a platform to incite, to recruit and to propagate fear and threats in their quest for power.

However, beyond the dark side of video media as a tool to promote fear, there is a public good side to it as well. Recently, cellphone video has captured some of the most controversial events in American law enforcement revealing how some law enforcement officers exceed and abuse their authorities. Crowd-sourced surveillance has exposed those abuses and has demonstrated how it can and will continue to play an important role in identifying “bad apples” in law enforcement (or any public authority for that matter).

 We all believe what we see and in the age of YouTube, and the countless number of other open video-sharing sites, there is a great risk that, without additional data and context, images and video streams can be misleading, manipulative and misinterpreted. Add to that the media frenzy that accompanies incidents captured by what I call crowd-sourced surveillance, and a potentially useful and good capability could be manipulated into a dangerous propaganda tool.  In the wake of these incidents there has been a very quick reaction to use technology to monitor police encounters with the public and criminals. Many jurisdictions are deploying “body cameras” on police officers to record police activities much the same way “dash cams” are deployed on police cruisers. I am sure that many police officers push back on the use of body cams that could record a situation out of context. I, as a former law enforcement officer, probably would have had the same reaction at first. The general public rarely comes in contact with the police, and if they do it typically comes in the form of traffic enforcement. As unpleasant as that experience is, they are usually not confrontational or problematic. The general public does not see the frequent interactions police have with criminals or those who maybe exhibiting behavior that could be criminal. Police officers, probably more than any other public official, have the most discretion when dealing with the public. A police officer might come in contact with an offender for a minor crime and instead of making an arrest of a first-time offender, could decide to not make an arrest in favor of letting the offender off with a warning and potentially “scaring him straight.”

Why is that a good thing you might ask? Because everyone makes mistakes, so why ruin a person’s life because of a stupid mistake or act when you could give them a chance to turn their life around. Would that same level of discretion be able to be exercised if every encounter was recorded and available for supervisory and public second-guessing? And what happens when we take that discretion away from every officer on the street? Do we potentially risk burdening an already over burdened criminal justice system?

There is no question that the recent abuses by some police officers will result in a much needed review of police training, tactics and leadership to prevent the deaths of any innocent person. Law enforcement and public officials have to rebuild trust with the public it serves. Surveillance systems, whether body cams or cellphones, play a role in keeping the public and law enforcement officers safe, but we have to be thoughtful about deploying these technologies to ensure we are achieving the good we want and deserve.   

KEYWORDS: body camera crowd-sourced surveillance law enforcement surveillance law enforcement tools video surveillance news

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Liscouski 200px

Bob Liscouski has more then 30 years of experience in security and law enforcement, and he is the Executive Vice President of Integrated Strategies Group. Liscouski and ISG have founded four additional firms — Steel City Re, Edge360, Axio Global and Convergent Risk Group.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Security Enterprise Services
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Charles Denyer
Subscribe For Free!
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

  • Duty of Care
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Integrating Technology and Physical Security to Advance Duty of Care

Popular Stories

Pills spilled

More than 20,000 sensitive medical records exposed

Laptop in darkness

Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report shows rise in cyberattacks

Coding on screen

Research reveals mass scanning and exploitation campaigns

White post office truck

Department of Labor Sues USPS Over Texas Whistleblower Termination

Computer with binary code hovering nearby

Cyberattacks Targeting US Increased by 136%

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

May 22, 2025

Proactive Crisis Communication

Crisis doesn't wait for the right time - it strikes when least expected. Is your team prepared to communicate clearly and effectively when it matters most?

September 29, 2025

Global Security Exchange (GSX)

 

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Surveillance Strategies

    Making Surveillance a Business Intelligence Necessity

    See More
  • Post 9/11 Surveillance

    In Defense of Post-9/11 Surveillance

    See More
  • surveillance 1 feat

    Finding the Right Technology to Unlock Cloud and Mobile Surveillance

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • surveillance.jpg

    Surveillance, Privacy and Public Space

  • threat and detection.jpg

    Surveillance and Threat Detection

  • 9780367221942.jpg

    From Visual Surveillance to Internet of Things: Technology and Applications

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing