Citizen acceptance of police interventions: an example of CCTV surveillance in Las Vegas,Nevada

Efforts to install crime cameras in public are sometimes met with resistance from segments of the community who raise concerns over personal privacy. Drawing on an example from Las Vegas, NV, this paper explores community acceptance of CCTV cameras placed in a high-crime public location. In doing so, the paper applies a theoretical model that describes the mechanism by which private citizens accept interventions developed by police or other security officials. The paper analyzes specific privacy concerns raised by camera opponents and classifies the methods that police used to address those concerns and gain community support.