The way I see it, is that we generally can assume people will lie, so that eyewitness testimony is no longer credible enough, if you can even get someone to testify. So video proof is becoming expected as a way to determine culpability. Kind of like the CSI-effect in criminal cases: where juries expect there to be DNA evidence in every case.

I too am leery of too much surveillance out there, but on the other hand, if my kid was missing or my neighbor murdered, I would absolutely want the police to be able to check CCTV footage all over to find them. I think that's how they identified the Boston marathon bombers, as I recall.