Effectiveness of taxi security cameras not established
A statistical analysis of workplace homicide data published February 2002 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that security cameras are among the least effective homicide prevention measures. The study suggests that the best approach is to adopt five or more crime prevention measures simultaneously. The same study assigned a high preventive value to barriers between workers and the public. See also a February 2002 article published in HealthScout quoting the lead author and describing the main findings of the study.
Crime statistics from New South Wales for the years 1997-2000 are sometimes presented (e.g. to the SF Taxi Commission) as evidence for the effectiveness of cameras in taxicabs. The statistics, which indicate a sharp reduction in assaults, are of questionable value because they incorrectly state that there were no taxicab driver homicides in NSW during the period. A search of the web site of the Sydney Morning Herald turned up at least two taxicab driver homicides during the period 1997-2000. The two murders identified are: Kevin Lester on October 16, 1999 in Nowra, NSW; and Satpal Singh Suri on Feb 26, 2000 in Sydney, NSW.
Other reports from Australia, where taxi security cameras are most widely used, are generally anecdotal and do not contain useful statistics. Perth, the first city to adopt cameras, did so at least partially in response to the disappearance and presumed murders of women, allegedly after hailing cabs. Much of the Australian experience with cameras may not be very relevant to the US where gun-related crime against drivers is much more frequent.
The available crime statistics from Toronto, where cameras are used in most cabs, indicate a sharp drop in non-violent crimes the year after cameras were adopted. A close reading, however, reveals an increase in assaults involving weapons and bodily injury. The statistics from Toronto may be more useful when numbers for more than one year of camera use are available.
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