Theories on ‘opportunity for crime’ have utilized CCTV in crime prevention approach,
and empirical studies showing crime prevention effects of CCTV have supported
expansion of CCTV installation. Particularly, in Korea, the number of CCTV
installation had tripled from 2011 to 2015, and governmental policies regarding CCTV
have become one of the mainstream social control strategies. Although a couple of
empirical studies showed decrease in crime rate due to CCTV installation, there is no
study investigating B/C analysis(Benefit vs. cost analysis) of CCTV installation. B/C
analysis results will be beneficial for official decision-making of criminal justice policy,
and this study is purported to produce such fundamental evidence for policy making
procedure. To fulfill this goal, this study collected data on financial information, crime
data between 2011 and 2015 across the nation from 232 governmental district offices
and the Korean National Police. This study then conducted two different B/C
analyses(simple B/C analysis, regression-based B/C analysis). The simple B/C analysis
results showed that 1) total costs for CCTV installation in 2014 was 68,626,000,000
won(approximately, US$57,188,333.00, money exchange rate 1200won=US$1), 2)
benefits of crime reduction was 90,888,000,000 won(appx. US$75,740,000), and 3) B/C
rate was 1.32. The regression-based B/C analysis results showed that 1) B/C rate was
1.52 when only reduced costs of criminal justice processes for crime employed, and 2)
B/C rate was 3.62 when overall social costs including reduced costs of criminal justice
processes and social benefits, e.g., reduction in costs for managing fear of crime, due
to the crime reduction. Based on the results, this study provided policy implications.