George Orwell’s literary classic, 1984, inspired us to take ownership of Big Brother and turn it into a modern day phrase that covers everything involved with state monitoring.

For those not familiar with the term, it is Orwell’s vision of the future where Big Brother, a propaganda inflated and supposedly benevolent being watches everything and everyone through their television screens. Big Brother is not benevolent at all and merely uses this tactic to clamp down on anyone and anything that differs in its view of the world, but literary discussion is for another forum.

Where does this tie in to today’s editorial? The government has recently announced that six new CCTV cameras have been installed to complement an existing two already in Paceville.

The intention is to give the police a helping hand in identifying hotspots where trouble breaks out or illicit activity takes place. The second aim is to use the footage to aid police investigations, and presumably, court proceedings. The government has already said that the footage will only be kept for two days, obviously implying that the recordings “will not” invade one’s privacy.

There will be two schools of thought on this matter. Many parents whose kids go off to Paceville at the weekend will probably accept the news happily. They will argue that it will make the streets safer by allowing the police to immediately identify disturbances (or the various other shenanigans that take place in the nightlife Mecca).

However, there will be others who will object to the fact that they are being watched while they smoke a cigarette/speak to friends/enjoy a drink. Some people have a deep rooted dislike of such recordings. The UK is the most watched country in the world and it has had mixed results. Older people are, by and large, glad of the “security” that such cameras provide them with. Then again, the objectors cite a massive invasion of privacy.

This newspaper is by no means saying that there should be no recorded camera footage. What we are, however, saying is that the police and the relevant authorities need to strike a balance. We are sure that if used correctly, these cameras will help the police reduce crime and anti-social behaviour (yes we get it in Malta too, but Anti Social Behaviour Orders will not work), but it must be accompanied by police action and further patrolling, something we have also been promised. If the police merely place cameras in one place, the troublemakers will simply shift to another little den. Also, these cameras should not be used to dish out parking fines willy-nilly, to do that the parking problem needs to be alleviated with an alternative, such as a park and ride scheme.

At the end of the day, one need not fear anything if they do not break the law – we are sure people will not be given a summons for laughing and making a bit of noise. In addition, footage will help in situations where people have been injured – sometimes scarred for life. At least the aggressor’s action will be seen in all its “glory” – perhaps prompting the judiciary to dish out harsher penalties rather than fines and suspended sentences. But, the government is still going to have to gain the trust of people on this issue – recording people for their own safety does have its merits, but try and convince the dissenters of that.