Technology keeps changing and improving every year, with one invention that many people see and use today being CCTV. These cameras help to keep an eye on streets, buildings, and homes. There were about 5.2 million CCTV cameras in the UK in 2020, which is around one camera for every 13 people, but when did CCTV first appear?
Early development
The story of CCTV began in 1927, when a Russian scientist named Leon Theremin built an early version of a CCTV system that used a simple camera and radio waves to send pictures to a receiver. His system was first used at the Moscow Kremlin to watch visitors approaching the building.
In 1949, the first CCTV system for the public was sold under the name Vericon. It was advertised as a system that didn’t need a government permit, showing that CCTV was starting to be used outside official buildings.
CCTV can also be used alongside fire risk assessment Cheltenham, which is provided by companies such as https://www.apmfireandsecurity.com/fire-risk-assessment/cheltenham.
Modern use
CCTV arrived in the UK in the 1950s, when the Metropolitan Police set up cameras in Trafalgar Square to watch the crowds for the Coronation and Guy Fawkes Day. During the 1970s and 1980s, CCTV cameras were added to roads, train stations, and public areas to help manage traffic and prevent crime.
By the 1990s, CCTV was common across most UK cities. In the 2000s, as the internet and mobile phones improved, CCTV became smaller and smarter, with clearer images, facial recognition, and live viewing from anywhere in the world.