Yes, see, people just throw out the word 'privacy' as if the cameras were being installed in your homes, and not just in public places! Which is untrue. I don't know why people haven't noticed that you don't actually have the right to go unobserved in public places- in fact, that in itself would be a very bad idea. It's not a civil liberty.
Any muppet can watch you whilst you are out in the street, so why worry about a camera, when it has such a useful function when it comes to crime? As Jaden mentioned, there are rather serious crimes being cleared up because of them that otherwise never could, and endless amounts of assaults, robberies and other such matters are greatly helped to be cleared up by them. Squeaking about 'threats to our civil liberties' whilst preferring a system that would allow such people to commit crimes without fear of identification seriously confuse me in the logic department.
It strikes me as a form of extreme paranoia.
Big Brother was NOT cameras in the street- that's just a logical extension of law enforcement.
Big Brother was the observation and control of everything you did- it went into your home and watched you, not to prevent crime but simply because the idea was that citizens had to be watched. If you think CCTV is even vaguely approaching that state then I suggest you read the book again and don't just throw such terms around without brainpower behind them.