Abstract

The expansion of closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems and smart-city surveillance technologies has 
transformed contemporary approaches to urban crime prevention and public safety. This evidence review 
examines the crime displacement effects associated with CCTV surveillance, predictive policing, integrated sensor 
systems, and other smart-city technologies. Drawing upon theoretical and empirical literature, the study evaluates 
whether surveillance interventions reduce crime overall or merely relocate criminal activity across space, time, 
targets, or methods. The review highlights the relevance of routine activity theory, situational crime prevention, 
and crime pattern theory in explaining offender adaptation and displacement dynamics. Empirical findings reveal 
mixed outcomes: while many studies demonstrate significant reductions in crime within monitored zones, evidence 
also suggests the occurrence of spatial and temporal displacement in adjacent or less protected areas. At the same 
time, several investigations identify diffusion of benefits, where crime reductions extend beyond surveillance 
boundaries. Smart-city technologies introduce additional complexities through algorithmic governance, predictive 
policing, automated license plate recognition, artificial intelligence, and networked surveillance systems, all of 
which reshape offender behaviour and urban security practices. The review further examines methodological 
challenges in displacement research, including counterfactual construction, geographical scaling, publication bias, 
and causal inference limitations. Privacy concerns, public legitimacy, civil liberties, and ethical governance emerge 
as critical contextual moderators influencing the effectiveness and acceptance of surveillance technologies. The 
study concludes that crime displacement is neither universal nor inevitable; rather, its extent depends on 
surveillance design, coverage intensity, integration with broader crime prevention strategies, and community 
legitimacy. Effective policy responses therefore require balanced frameworks that combine technological 
innovation with transparency, accountability, ethical safeguards, and context-sensitive urban governance.