Too Many CCTV Cameras in Sheffield?

The “alarming” number of CCTV cameras on Sheffield streets sparks concerns from pressure groups.

02:27 17 February 2023

The “alarming” number of CCTV cameras on Sheffield streets sparks concerns from pressure groups. 

Statistics obtained through freedom of information requests by Ironmongery Direct show that there are currently 159 council-owned and monitored CCT cameras - up by 7per cent from just 149 cameras in 2019. 

Meanwhile, data released by local authorities across the United Kingdom, confirms a 15per cent increase in the number of cameras in towns and cities over three years - from 79,022 to 91,081. 

Local councils were asked to indicate the number of CCTV cameras they had in operation in 2022 as opposed to the number of cameras they operated in 2019. Of the 384 local authorities across the UK, 311 were able to provide data for both years and a further 31 provided figures for 2022 alone. 

Corps Monitoring, a security firm, attributed the national rise in the use of CCTV to the fall in the cost of equipment in recent years, alongside the wider availability of high-speed internet. However, Big Brother Watch said that the number of CCTV cameras on the UK streets is concerning and raised concerns about the potential use of facial recognition to track people. 

Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, said that the Government should commission an independent review into “the scale, capabilities, rights and ethics” of CCTV in the UK.