The Influence of CCTV Cameras on the Bystander Effect: A Field Test

• In Event: Perspectives on Crime Fighting Technology

Abstract

We find ourselves in an era where citizens are often reminded: “If you see something, say something.” These messages strive to engage citizens in practices of “lateral surveillance” (Andrejevic, 2005) that enlist citizens into a broader assemblage of surveillant actors and technologies that, ideally, keep us all safer. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) seeks to enlist subway riders in this style of campaign, but the “bystander effect” (Latene & Darley, 1970) may be influential on public participation in such campaigns, suggesting that persons may be less likely to report suspicious activity when other bystanders are present. However, the presence of CCTV may influence willingness to engage in such campaigns. A small amount of experimental work suggests that CCTVs may increase reporting behavior, creating a floor effect that inhibits the bystander effect (van Bommel et al., 2012; van Bommel et al., 2013). This research tests this relationship in the field, exploring CTA riders’ perceptions of the surveilled space of CTA trains and platforms alongside past and hypothetical reporting behaviors. The results are drawn from a survey administered to CTA riders using a stratified sampling technique representing a demographic portrait of Chicago in terms of race, and socio-economic status are presented.

Authors

• Alana Saulnier, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Ermus Saint Louis, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Justin Escamilla, University of Illinois at Chicago