CCTV: Cutting Crime or just feelgood?

Chelmsford Weekly News reports "Cctv Cameras Are Cutting Crime Say Council" but if you read the story carefully it is mainly reporting that CCTV helped catch some criminals, which is not the same thing. It did not stop the crimes being committed! Clearly, it is difficult to prove a negative - that CCTV stops crime being committed. But some reports have tried:
More CCTV on London's streets does not help solve crime (London Lib Dems)
CCTV Does Not Reduce Crime (Daily Mirror, reported on Prison Planet)
CCTV cameras fail to cut crime - (Times Online)
CCTV security systems & their effectiveness in crime prevention (Video Surveillance Guide)
Most CCTV cameras are 'illegal', watchdog claims

Watching over us:- Ian Readhead, Hampshire's Deputy Chief Constable, has gone on record to say that the town of Stockbridge in Hampshire is overreacting by installing a £10,000 CCTV system.