A Spatial Examination of the Presence of CCTV Cameras and Neighborhood Crime

Abstract Closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems are a widely used crime prevention tool in urban areas, yet their effectiveness may vary depending on neighborhood context. This study examines the direct and moderating effects of CCTV presence and density on violent and property crime in Washington, D.C., while accounting for sociodemographic and land use characteristics. Moving beyond traditional spatial approaches, we use overlapping, non-discrete neighborhood boundaries to capture the surveillance impacts of CCTVs. Our findings suggest that CCTVs are associated with reductions in crime, particularly in low-poverty neighborhoods and areas with high renter populations. Conversely, high-poverty and high-homeownership neighborhoods showed reduced benefits from CCTVs. CCTVs were also more effective in commercial areas such as those with high densities of restaurants and supermarkets. These results suggest the importance of structural characteristics and land use for understanding the surveillance impact of CCTVs. The current study provides a more nuanced perspective on the role of CCTVs in crime prevention and suggests that their effectiveness is not uniform but is instead contingent on neighborhood characteristics. This underscores the need for surveillance policies that incorporate both the physical and social characteristics of communities.