CCTV and Social Media in Police Burglary Investigation
This paper examines how local police departments in the United States use closed-circuit television (CCTV) in combination with social media platforms, particularly Facebook, to identify and apprehend burglary suspects. Beginning with the scope of the burglary problem — including statistics on home invasions, low clearance rates, and limited security adoption — the paper describes how officers post surveillance images online to leverage public identification. It also explores deterrence theory, distinguishing between specific and general deterrence, and reviews research on CCTV's effectiveness in reducing crime in public spaces. The discussion draws on rational choice theory to explain how CCTV influences offender decision-making.
- Introduction: The Burglary Problem in American Communities: Scale of burglary problem and security gaps
- Using CCTV and Facebook to Identify Burglary Suspects: Police use social media to crowdsource suspect identification
- Deterrence Theory and Crime Prevention: Specific vs. general deterrence in criminal justice
- CCTV's Impact on Reducing Crime in Public Spaces: Research evidence on CCTV effectiveness and rational choice
- Conclusion: CCTV and social media as complementary crime prevention tools
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds the argument in concrete statistics — burglary rates, CCTV adoption figures, and clearance rates — giving the reader a clear sense of the problem's scale before introducing solutions.
- Connects a practical, real-world policing strategy (posting suspect images on Facebook) to established criminological theory, bridging applied practice and academic concepts.
- Clearly distinguishes between specific and general deterrence, demonstrating familiarity with foundational criminal justice concepts.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the technique of anchoring a policy argument in theoretical frameworks. Rather than simply describing how CCTV and social media are used, the author situates these practices within rational choice theory and deterrence theory, showing that practical law enforcement strategies have identifiable theoretical underpinnings. This approach strengthens the paper's academic credibility by linking observation to explanation.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a problem statement supported by burglary statistics, then narrows to a specific community solution (CCTV combined with Facebook). A middle section addresses deterrence theory as the conceptual backbone of the approach. The paper then broadens the discussion to CCTV's documented effectiveness in public spaces, drawing on peer-reviewed sources and government data. A brief conclusion ties the deterrence framework back to the CCTV evidence. The structure moves logically from problem → practice → theory → evidence.
Introduction: The Burglary Problem in American Communities
For a long time, the majority of local police departments in America have faced a major problem: identifying crimes and tracking suspects for arrest. With a particular focus on home burglaries and vandalism, police have experienced serious difficulties in identifying perpetrators. Based on burglary statistics, it is estimated that every year there are over 2.5 million burglaries in the United States, 66% of which are home invasions. Due to a lack of witnesses or tangible evidence, police only resolve 13% of reported burglary cases (Alarms.org, 2019). Since just 17% of homes have a surveillance system, the remaining 83% are more vulnerable to burglary. Homes without security have a 300% greater chance of being broken into. In 95% of cases, forced entry is required. The most common tools for breaking into a home — pry bars, screwdrivers, pliers, and small hammers — are favored because they are less conspicuous and easier to conceal.
With the advent of closed-circuit security systems and social media, police departments can now more effectively identify and track burglary suspects for arrest. This paper examines the use of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in conjunction with social media platforms, particularly Facebook, by police departments to identify crime suspects. It also discusses how the installation of CCTV in both public and private spaces has influenced the reduction of burglary-related crime.
Using CCTV and Facebook to Identify Burglary Suspects
Businesses frequently install multiple cameras throughout their facilities so they can capture shoplifters from a variety of angles and obtain the most detailed information possible. However, suspects might not be apprehended immediately after a report is filed and a police officer reviews the video evidence. At many police departments, officers frequently post images of suspects taken from security footage on the department's official Facebook page, announcing that they are looking for a particular individual. It is highly possible that the public knows the suspect or has seen them previously.
If not, residents of the town and surrounding communities frequently share the post to encourage anyone who might recognize the suspect to come forward and contact police. Since most people use social media, law enforcement organizations frequently rely on it to help prevent and solve crimes. Departments also revisit old cold cases from years past and post related information on social media, in the hope that someone will come forward with information. When a home equipped with a security system is broken into, the monitoring firm can broadcast over a speaker and ask the intruder for an identification code to verify authorization to be on the premises. If the correct passcode is not provided, or if the person is not authorized to be there, the alarm company contacts the local police department, who are dispatched to the scene. Once the general public has identified a suspect, police can work to remove that individual from the streets to prevent them from committing further crimes.
CCTV's Impact on Reducing Crime in Public Spaces
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is now a widely used method of crime prevention. According to United Kingdom estimates, approximately 4.2 million cameras are in use — roughly one for every 14 people (Piza, 2018). In the United States, 49% of local police departments use CCTV, and 87% of those serving populations of 250,000 or more report doing so (Reaves, 2015). The practical application of CCTV is most closely related to deterrence, although various other crime prevention strategies involving CCTV have been proposed (Ratcliffe, 2006). Concepts of deterrence from a situational crime prevention standpoint have their roots in the rational choice theory of criminality.
The rational choice theory views crime as a "purposeful activity aimed to meet the offender's basic wants," in contrast to deterministic theories that view crime as an unavoidable outcome of broader societal issues (Piza, 2018). When making decisions, a perpetrator considers several "choice-structuring features," such as the benefits, drawbacks, and inherent risks associated with committing a crime. According to Ratcliffe (2006, p. 8), the primary goal of CCTV is to induce a perceptual mechanism in a potential offender "such that an offender believes that if he commits a crime, he will be caught." This is crucial in influencing an offender's decision-making in a way that encourages them to refrain from criminal activity.
Conclusion
The integration of CCTV surveillance with social media platforms represents a meaningful advancement in community-level crime prevention. By leveraging public identification of suspects through platforms such as Facebook, and by grounding these practices in deterrence theory and rational choice frameworks, police departments can work more effectively to reduce burglary rates. As CCTV adoption continues to grow and social media reach expands, law enforcement agencies are better positioned than ever to solve crimes, remove repeat offenders from communities, and discourage would-be criminals from acting in the first place.
References
Alarms.org. (2019). Burglary statistics: The hard numbers. Retrieved from alarms.org/burglary-statistics/
Piza, E. L. (2018). The crime prevention effect of CCTV in public places: A propensity score analysis. Journal of Crime and Justice, 41(1), 14–30.
Ratcliffe, J. (2006). Video surveillance of public places. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police, Response Guide Series, Guide No. 4. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. Washington, DC.
Reaves, B. (2015). Local police departments, 2013: Equipment and technology. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Washington, DC.
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