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Observing Potentiality in the Global City

Surveillance and Counterterrorism in London

University of East London

This article examines how strategies originally developed to tackle "conventional" forms of criminality are increasingly aimed at averting terrorism in London's public spaces. A central theme regards the increasing orientation of these controlling strategies around (progressively asocial) technological surveillance. The utilization of closed-circuit television (CCTV) during terrorist campaigns in London since 1992 is examined. The potential efficacy of electronic surveillance is argued to be partly contingent on configurations of differing dissident groups. Although reactionary terrorist activity may be amenable to disruption through CCTV, the same does not necessarily apply for groups with more nebulous formations. Difficulties are identified in grafting crime-control surveillance strategies onto counterterrorism. Moreover, the postevent functionality of such surveillant applications emphasizes the role of the human agent and thus questions moves toward asocial strategies. Finally, a number of unintended corollary effects of such strategies, including their likely impact on the categorization and potential radicalization of individuals, are identified.

Key Words: terrorism • surveillance • CCTV • governance • intelligence

International Criminal Justice Review, Vol. 17, No. 3, 171-192 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1057567707306577


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