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Plastic bags to be put over Birmingham 'terror cameras'
A consultation will be held over the use of the cameras Bags are to be put over scores of surveillance cameras in parts of Birmingham with large Muslim populations, after local objections.
Safer Birmingham Partnerships (SBP) said 216 cameras were put up including covert ones, mainly in the Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook districts.
The cameras were financed through a counter-terrorism fund, but the SBP said they would tackle all crime.
Councillor Salma Yaqoob said people had lost faith in the authorities.
'Sneaky handling' The Respect Party councillor for Sparkbrook said: "In terms of reassurance it's going to take a lot more than plastic bags.
"The residents have lost faith with the authorities for their sneaky handling of the way they went about this and will not be reassured until they have been told the locations of the hidden cameras too."
SBP said 72 cameras had been placed covertly and would not be covered by the plastic bags.
It said 106 cameras were Automatic Number Plate Recognition devices that were purely trained on car registration plates at road level.
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SBP said 38 overt CCTV cameras had been installed as well, but none of the cameras would be used until after the consultation had been carried out.
The cameras were financed through the Association of Chief Police Officers' (Acpo) Terrorism and Allied Matters (TAM).
'General crime' In a statement in April, the SBP said it had received £3m from the Home Office to improve community safety and crime reduction in the Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook wards.
"Although the counter terrorism unit was responsible for identifying and securing central government funds and have overseen the technical aspects of the installation, the camera sites were chosen on the basis of general crime data - not just counter-terrorism intelligence," the SBP said on Thursday.
The SBP - a partnership of the police, the city council and other agencies - said a number of concerns had been raised and it wanted to give people the right to express their views.
Roger Godsiff, Labour MP for Hall Green, said: "I put down an early day motion in the House of Commons expressing my concern about the way it had been handled and saying that there should be proper public consultation before the cameras are activated.
"If that's what the police have now decided to do, I applaud them for doing so."
Safer Birmingham Partnerships (SBP) said 216 cameras were put up including covert ones, mainly in the Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook districts.
The cameras were financed through a counter-terrorism fund, but the SBP said they would tackle all crime.
Councillor Salma Yaqoob said people had lost faith in the authorities.
'Sneaky handling' The Respect Party councillor for Sparkbrook said: "In terms of reassurance it's going to take a lot more than plastic bags.
"The residents have lost faith with the authorities for their sneaky handling of the way they went about this and will not be reassured until they have been told the locations of the hidden cameras too."
SBP said 72 cameras had been placed covertly and would not be covered by the plastic bags.
It said 106 cameras were Automatic Number Plate Recognition devices that were purely trained on car registration plates at road level.
Continue reading the main story
If that's what the police have now decided to do, I applaud them for doing so
Roger Godsiff MP
SBP said 38 overt CCTV cameras had been installed as well, but none of the cameras would be used until after the consultation had been carried out.
The cameras were financed through the Association of Chief Police Officers' (Acpo) Terrorism and Allied Matters (TAM).
'General crime' In a statement in April, the SBP said it had received £3m from the Home Office to improve community safety and crime reduction in the Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook wards.
"Although the counter terrorism unit was responsible for identifying and securing central government funds and have overseen the technical aspects of the installation, the camera sites were chosen on the basis of general crime data - not just counter-terrorism intelligence," the SBP said on Thursday.
The SBP - a partnership of the police, the city council and other agencies - said a number of concerns had been raised and it wanted to give people the right to express their views.
Roger Godsiff, Labour MP for Hall Green, said: "I put down an early day motion in the House of Commons expressing my concern about the way it had been handled and saying that there should be proper public consultation before the cameras are activated.
"If that's what the police have now decided to do, I applaud them for doing so."
