Questioning the value of cameras

The industry topic of the week that we latched onto was a column from security expert Bruce Schneier called "Do spy cameras make us safer?" It was originally published on CNN.com, and if you haven't read this or any of Schneier's other works, I highly recommend doing so. He has an excellent book out called Schneier on Security (the same title as his blog). That book is a collection of his essays over the years. It's one of very few security books that remains atop my desk at all times, and I've come to respect Schneier's opinion, even when I disagree with him.

Schneier's point in this latest essay is that cameras provide a false sense of security, and that the money spent on cameras would be better spent on policing. It's a reasonable point, and he is very logical in his approach, but he does miss the bigger picture. And that bigger picture is that while a camera will never slap a pair of cuffs on a criminal, you can put cameras where it's otherwise unrealistic to keep an officer (private or sworn) on post. The result is that you often get evidence where you couldn't otherwise. We asked a few industry experts to give us a response to Schneier's essay, and the result is a very popular article on our site right now with some differing opinions on the subject.

UTC closes on GE
Historic news for one of the biggest brands in security

I suppose there was a slim chance it wasn't going to happen for regulatory reasons, but GE Security has now sold. UTC closed the acquisition this week and now GE is part of a family of companies that spreads from the security and fire industry (Lenel, Kidde, Chubb, RedHawk and others) to HVAC, elevators, aircraft engines, space technology, helicopters and even fuel cells. It's a high-tech company that touts an aggressive growth strategy, and the purchase of the GE Security division comes after a tough run for GE that saw difficulties in the GE Capital division and the sale of its stake in NBC to cable and internet access provider Comcast. (To hear more about what's going on in GE and to get a perspective on GE's CEO and Chairman Jeff Immelt, I recommend this article from the UK's Guardian newspaper.)