Government CCTV cameras are seen as many to be an intrusion and open to misuse.

Yet private CCTV, because it is so decentralised, is of a benefit to society. Whether it is stationed at a business or home, such footage is often used for solving crimes.

In theory less crime happens when people know they could be filmed. Yet for street crimes, is is not obvious to the perpetrator that they are being watched.

We should resurrect Neighbourhood Watch for the digital age. There are many ways to do this, but my focus here is the safety of women walking home alone at night. While actual crimes towards these people tend to be low in many advanced nations, the fear is especially harmful.

IDEA: Signs on lampposts (spray painted with a recognisable, repeated style) that indicate the street has a medium or high density of CCTV cameras. 

That’s all. Individual cameras aren’t acknowledged. For it to work, the information needs to be honest – marking every street, regardless of impact, loses impact.

My belief is that a perp who is trailing a woman cannot help but notice the signs and reconsider their intentions.

While hoods can hide facial features, technology will soon be able to spot other recognisable features, like height and gait.