Now the upper secondary school and labor market committee has decided on the possibility of setting up surveillance cameras in upper secondary schools in Örebro. From the year 2020, a security camera will be installed at Karolinska high school. Since then, Örebro has had a new board and a new committee, but the desire to expand what we see as the beginning of a more comprehensive surveillance society remains, both from the left and the right in politics. We said no to expanding the camera surveillance around the high schools in Örebro as it could violate privacy and not have the desired effect. There is a lack of both research and sufficient evidence to say yes.
It is not possible to draw any definite conclusions about the effect of camera surveillance on crime in Sweden, there has not been enough research.
On the contrary, research shows that camera surveillance has little impact on crime. The Crime Prevention Council (BRÅ) has shown in a meta-study that there is proven effectiveness in preventing burglaries in parking lots and in residential areas. However, there is no evidence that violent crime is decreasing. BRÅ are very clear; it is not possible to draw any safe conclusions about the effect of camera surveillance on crime in Sweden, there has not been enough research.
This and only this study has been used by the majority to back up their arguments. So the same study that speaks against extended camera surveillance. The board has now decided on something that will have an impact on individuals’ integrity without having sufficient evidence that it will have the intended effect.
When we politicians have to make decisions with possible integrity-violating consequences, in addition to evidence in the research, you should also be able to demonstrate that the problem is so big that the decision is justified. However, chairman Christopher Hedbom Rydaeus sees this decision as a big win for security. He said in the committee that the research does not need to be listened to so carefully. His stance was that it takes too long to find out the facts. A very worrying attitude and not the attitude that we in the Liberals have towards research.
Nor have we seen that the crime around and in our municipal high schools is so extensive that it warrants camera surveillance. There are other, less privacy-infringing measures to put in place to prevent crime. The Liberals want us to invest more in preventive work instead. For example, more available staff who can detect and catch students who are at risk of going in the wrong direction. Social services must be contacted immediately if criminality or drug use is suspected, just as the law prescribes.
Camera surveillance may seem harmless, but this crosses the line with the risk of compromising privacy. We regret that the management did not want to find out more before the decision was made. We accept camera surveillance if it is supported by research and we can trust that it produces the right effect. But we should not normalize expanded surveillance of our citizens on loose assumptions and guesswork.
Gunilla Werme
Liberals Örebro municipality
Substitute Municipal Council
Member of the High School and Labor Market Board
Levi Rönnberg
Liberals Örebro municipality
Substitute High School and Labor Market Board
Open image in full screen mode Surveillance camera on the roof of Karolinska high school. Archive image. Photo: Gabriel Rådström
