Recent development in the cctv cameras has introduced monitoring of the images produced through use of computers.  Now the operator does not have to look constantly to the monitor screens. The computer will perform the monitoring and surveillance tasks mostly. This will give the operator opportunity to look through more cameras at a time.

Essential factor of this system is that you do not observe the people directly in such surveillance through computer.  Instead you go on tracking the behavioral pattern of the object including body movement, attire, or luggage used.

Entire concept of such surveillance system is based on the belief that public behavior of people is always predictable. People who behave strangely, and are not the part of the crowd, can be identified quite easily as the computer will immediately detect the differences and identify them.

An interesting innovation in UK had been the combining of microphone with the CCTV monitoring so that any one using abusive language or behaving improperly could be pin pointed.  The results were pretty good though at times it has been argued that this may enable the operators to eavesdrop on the private conversations taking place at times and it is beyond social decency.

It is expected that decent people will not indulge in such nefarious activities.  After all you are not going to use the cctv dvr for recording the insignificant conversations of the people who have nothing to do with security or crime. The advantage is that with computerized tracking you can track the identified individual through the area covered by the CCTV systems.