Surveillance of the public using CCTV is common in many areas around the world. CCTV is commonly used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Maintaining perimeter security in medium- to high-secure areas and installations.
- Observing behavior of incarcerated inmates and potentially dangerous patients in medical facilities.
- Traffic monitoring.
- Overseeing locations that would be hazardous to a human, for example, highly radioactive or toxic industrial environments.
- Building and grounds security.
- Obtaining a visual record of activities in situations where it is necessary to maintain proper security or access controls (for example, in a diamond cutting or sorting operation; in banks, casinos, or airports)