The magazine 'Surveillance & Society' has a special double issue online about the politics and practice of CCTV. Under the title 'The Politics of CCTV in Europe and Beyond' the magazine examines the extraordinarily fast growth of closed circuit television (CCTV) in western societies. Papers on regulation and governance and a large number of case studies describe various aspects of the the growth in the use of CCTV, from its use in the private sector, public spaces, large scale 'open street' CCTV and gradually its ubiquitous presence. The editors question the motives to implement CCTV on such a large scale: "The extent to which such measures do anything to protect from further tragedies is questionable, but largely irrelevant. For politicians, there is a need to be seen to be doing something."
Surveillance & Society: The Politics of CCTV in Europe and Beyond
(edited by Clive Norris, Mike McCahill and David Wood)
http://www.surveillance-and-society.org/cctv.htm