'Sci-Fi Film' CCTV Predicts Crime

SKY News
Nov. 29, 2008

CCTVs are taking a step closer to the science fiction idea of the Minority Report with a predictive system being installed in a British city for the first time.

The CCTV system has gone up in sites across Portsmouth and it will reportedly help predict crimes before they actually happen.

The city's council has set up the network of "intelligent" cameras that can alert an operator to suspicious behaviour.

The system is able to spot "unusual" incidents like somebody loitering or a vehicle travelling too fast.

It then alerts CCTV operators so they in turn can assess the situation and decide what action - if any - needs to be taken.

The system is being set up to watch quiet areas like car parks, stairwells or corridors in buildings and streets at night-time.

This is to allow an operator to monitor more cameras without having to watch each screen simultaneously.

"Although we are a long way off Minority Report, it is a step closer," said camera maker Smart CCTV's Nick Hewitson.

"It is able to alert the operator to something that might be interesting such as a guy hanging around or somebody running.

"But what it cannot do is say whether that guy is waiting for his girlfriend or about to commit a crime.

"That is for the operator to make a subjective human decision on and make an appropriate response.

"The software is able to filter out all the boring information and gives the security operator alerts on things that might be interesting."

The system, which has been running in several US cities, including New York, Washington and Chicago, is being given to Portsmouth for free.

:: Hollywood actor Tom Cruise starred in the Minority Report movie, in which psychics predict crimes so people can be arrested before they commit an offence.