And yet, how come when any felon round here is supposedly caught on CCTV there's insufficient evidence to confirm an ID?
Usually because the Judge will not allow the images so recorded to stand alone as evidence but demands that some other means of identification is offered in support of the CCTV images. Many appeals have been allowed because of the potential to alter images. Like I said CCTV is only one tool in the box. Having IDed your suspect from his picture you still have to prove the case against the individual. Trust me ~ I have been ripped apart in court by too many lawyers not to know.
I almost knew the answer the minute I hit the send post key
We hand over tapes, or used to - it's now digital, quite regularly to the local plod but even when they can see a suspect it's very difficult to get a positive ID.