Public transport companies are installing tens of thousands of video cameras

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tracing. Big Brother Espionage: SBB has been facing serious charges recently. The criticism was triggered by an article in the “K-Tipp” magazine that said railroads wanted to place cameras with facial recognition at train stations to analyze the buying behavior of passengers.

Defending against the allegations, SBB emphasized that the new customer frequency measurement system will not record personal data and facial recognition is not planned.

Duplicate the number of cameras

Regardless of this controversy, research by SonntagsBlick shows that video surveillance on public transport has grown tremendously in recent years. SBB, which installed 14,600 cameras in trains and stations in 2015, now operates 24,400 recording devices, according to its own statements.

The picture is the same for other transport companies: the BLS increased the number of cameras from 630 to 2880 in ten years, and the Rhaetian Railroad from 95 to 1723. The number of cameras on Southeastern Railway trains has increased from 380. From 2017 to 1910.

That’s why commuters are confronted by more than 36,000 cameras – not even considering the surveillance systems of many small transport companies in the country.

SBB: Camcorders are standard

Public transport companies explain the increase by the expansion of their offerings and fleets, as well as the fact that video cameras are standard on new rolling stock. A spokesperson for SBB said: “Video monitoring is part of our safety concept. It is therefore an important element for us to further raise the standard of safety on trains for our employees and customers.»

The spokesperson said that when it comes to attacks on personnel, the footage is substantial evidence of any accusation. Monitoring also helps initiate emergency assistance in an emergency: “If someone presses the SOS button on the train, images are sent to the transportation police’s operations control center for further assistance.”

All of this sounds positive and logical. But not everyone shares this camera enthusiasm. Francisco Klauser, 45, Professor of Political Geography at the University of Neuchâtel, has studied the effects of video cameras in public spaces for 20 years and concludes: “Surveillance cameras do not make society safer.”

problems have been postponed

According to the expert, especially crimes committed under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be blocked by cameras. Since there are cameras on every train, the public’s sense of security does not increase in the long run.

“Problems are not solved with cameras, they just move to another location,” says Klauser. The best example of this is England, where almost all inner cities are covered with cameras – but crime has not decreased as a result.

Klauser also recognizes that footage from surveillance systems can be helpful in investigating violent incidents. The problem, however, is that video camera installation often goes hand in hand with staff cuts: “For example, trains have more cameras than before, but fewer train attendants.” On the other hand, in cities and communities, the installation of cameras is often accompanied by reduced police presence. Klauser: “This is a questionable development.”

Cities and municipalities are also expanding

However, security cameras are metered to towns and communities. The process is always the same: somewhere there is a problem with drugs, violence or vandalism and a camera must improve the situation.

There are no figures on the number of cameras in Switzerland. In most cantons, the data situation is mediocre to deplorable. But where reliable figures are available, the trend is clearly upwards: In the cantons of Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden, for example, the data protection officer counted 190 video cameras in public spaces in 2012. Today there are 610 of them.

More security through cameras?

In cities, the numbers are even more impressive: Basel now registers 1,260 security cameras in public spaces. There was already talk of 800 cameras in Zurich in 2019 – and only in municipal school buildings.

Authorities, such as public transport companies, believe cameras mean greater security.

Scientifically, this is controversial. What is clear, however, is that the prosecuting authorities are – and increasingly – happy to return to the flood of records. In 2016, federal railroads received only 80 to 100 such inquiries per month. But in 2022, the prosecution requested about 200 video material per month from SBB alone.

Source :Blick