Practice 14: My First Essay

The Benefits of Government Surveillance

    Most people do not care about government surveillance because they have not thought about the benefits it has. Having cameras on the streets might seem like a dystopian idea, but many countries in the world do it, and it helps keeping the streets secure. Most of the public would benefit from having government surveillance, and those who wouldn't benefit are those who participate in public life disruptions. Government surveillance could make people feel safer, put a stop to vandalism and lessen taxes.

    Knowing that there is someone looking out for them will make people feel safer. Women, especially, suffer the effects of unsafe streets at night. Knowing that someone is out there looking out for them will make them feel safer. Sometimes kids with working parents have to go somewhere alone, like school; parents and kids alike would feel better if there was surveillance. It would also make policework easier, since they could see things happening and stop them sooner; it would make finding the culprit much easier too, because he would have been caught on video.

    Surveillance would probably put a stop to vandalism, or at leas lessen it considerably. If you know they are going to catch you after destroying public property, it would certainly be less interesting. Even if the vandals cover their faces, they could be followed through the cameras, so police could even wait for them somewhere in order to detain them. There is no point in burning things or doing graffiti if they are watching you do it, it kills the surprise effect. 

    Moreover, a big part of our taxes goes toward buying and restoring public property, so government surveillance could help lessen the taxes. If there were not destroyed property or vandalized property, there would be no need to expend money on it. Cleaner streets would be another perk of government surveillance: who would want to leave dog waste on the street if they knew they are being recorded? That would certainly make life easier and the streets feel much better. 

    Government surveillance, although it is a controversial topic, would make people's lives better. People walking down the street, such as women, would be safer, knowing that they are being protected because someone is watching out for them. It would put a stop to vandalism, or at least lessen it considerably. If it works, governments would spend less money on restoring public property and cleaning the streets, so that would lead to lower taxes. All in all, government surveillance could offer people more security.