Council pays £48,000 for new CCTV cameras

Five CCTV cameras providing crystal-clear images will be installed by a Midland council to assist council chiefs' fight against anti-social behaviour.

The wireless cameras, which will cost Sandwell Council £48,000, use 3G technology and can be transported between locations within hours. Any street in the borough could have a camera installed if it is deemed a hotspot for hooligans.

The council operates 36 static CCTV cameras in West Bromwich, nine in Greets Green and seven in Wednesbury.

The council's communities chief Derek Rowley said: "These are excellent cameras which will help us by targeting areas where anti-social behaviour is taking place.

"Their best feature is the fact they are so movable. We could put one up somewhere and move it again just a few days later. They also provide an incredibly clear picture which will aid identification of offenders and act as a deterrent."

The cameras should be operational within a few weeks and will be monitored by Sandwell Homes at its centre in Oldbury.

They simply need a power supply to function. It is thought they will be attached to lamp posts.

Councillor Rowley said: "What we have at the moment is dozens of static cameras which were set up on something of a hotch-potch basis 10 years ago.

"After a period of time the locations of some may no longer be appropriate. These new cameras could be the future of CCTV monitoring in Sandwell."

Councillor Rowley said cash had been found by making savings on some existing cameras.

Locations for the cameras will be chosen by the Safer Sandwell Tasking groups, which responds to requests from residents. The success of the system will be reviewed in a year.

Bosses in Sandwell had considered bringing in a CCTV spy car similar to that operating in Wolverhampton but shelved it due to budget cuts.

Last year campaign group Big Brother Watch released statistics showing Sandwell Council had spent £5 million on CCTV since 2007, second only to Birmingham City Council. The bulk of the cash was spent on staff.