While the United Kingdom increased the number of CCTV units across the country drastically, crime did not decrease nearly as much as the Police had hoped. This begs the question: Are CCTV systems worth the money and the added personnel needed to monitor them?

The UK will be implementing new aspects to their already extensive network in order to create a database of images taken from live feeds which can then be taken to identify offenders. Images of individuals suspected of crimes will be uploaded to an online directory, allowing those with an internet connection to identify possible criminals with ease. These types of upgrades are essential if the Police expect the CCTV network to function as a means of catching criminals.

Another major issue with the UK CCTV network, that may be something to consider for United States' CCTV systems, is the use of these images in a court of law. Initially the cameras were seen as a preventative measure, but the Police must go a step further and use these images in court. Training of additional officers to use the new equipment is a daunting task, and some officers may see the new technology as unnecessary. As new technologies replace old systems in the United States, training is a very important issue and one which requires acceptance on the part of the Police and willingness to conduct the training by the supplying vendors.

Further development of new software to use and make the images captured discernable will effectively make a CCTV network more useful and increase the likelihood of catching criminals. Additional use of biometric technologies and large databases shared among various departments will likely be seen in the near future. As these technologies are perfected, they will become an integral part of the CCTV systems and networks. The United Kingdom's implementation of thousands of CCTV units serves as a case study for the United States and will enable state and local governments to see what systems work and what systems have failed. As more localities seek these systems, vendors can be on call, ready to provide systems that fit the needs of the locality and basing some decisions on the British model will be unavoidable.

Overall, CCTV networks are essential to crime prevention, but as these networks become common place in the United States, there will be many obstacles in implementation. Often times, localities view CCTV systems as intrusive and unnecessary. While small scale CCTV networks may have limited capacity to catch criminals, increasing the network size and determining ways to establish databases that connect cities, counties and even states will make them worthwhile in the long run.