Makes you wonder how the mussies spotted these covert cameras
The 64 covert cameras – put up without public consultation – will be
destroyed at a cost of £300,000 because they are not “economically or
technically viable for redeployment”
CONTROVERSIAL “spy” cameras that were removed from Muslim areas of
Birmingham in a £3 million counter terrorism fiasco are being binned.
The 64 covert cameras – put up without public consultation – will be
destroyed at a cost of £300,000 because they are not “economically or
technically viable for redeployment”.
It is the latest embarrassment for West Midlands Police, forced to
dramatically shelve Project Champion last year following a public
backlash.
More than 200 doomed cameras were installed in the scheme, but never
switched on. They would have monitored people travelling through
Sparkhill, Ward End and Washwood Heath.
The full cost of removing, redeploying and destroying the cameras is
£300,000, which has been taken from cash-strapped West Midlands Police’s
reserve funds.
Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood described
the decision to bin 64 of the 200 cameras as a “disgrace” and an “utter
waste of money” last night.
Fifty-three of the cameras were sold on to other forces for just £1
each ahead of the Olympics, and 63 have been retained in the Midlands to
fight organised crime.
The cameras – paid for by a Government anti-terrorism grant –
would have logged the vehicle details of everybody entering or leaving
Sparkhill, Ward End and Washwood Heath, leading to accusations they were
being used to spy on Muslims. Mr Mahmood, Labour MP for Perry Barr,
said: “This whole scheme has been a complete and utter disaster. I am
appalled about the way it has been handled.
“This scheme should have been consulted upon properly in the first
place and I do hope any form of extremist activity does not slip under
the radar as a result of the loss of these resources.
“The destruction of cameras like this is a complete and utter waste of money. It’s a disgrace to just throw them away.”
The shock disposal admissions were made in a report to West Midlands
Police Authority’s finance and resources committee, which also detailed
where the cameras have been sent.
Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale said: “West Midlands Police
have worked closely with West Midlands Police Authority to maximise the
use of the CCTV cameras and equipment from Project Champion, and ensure
that their redistribution provides a positive contribution to public
safety.
“The force and the Police Authority have worked hard to ensure that
there have been robust processes to provide the public with the best
value for money.
“We
have tried to ensure that as much of the equipment as possible has been
re-used. Some of the cameras, however, would require further financial
investment to convert them for alternative uses, and we believe that
converting these is not in the best interests of West Midlands
tax-payers.
“We accept that mistakes were made throughout the project and again apologise to local communities.
“It has been well documented that there are significant lessons for
West Midlands Police to learn, which we have accepted, and we will
continue to incorporate these into our future business.”
The report says the force has retained 43 automatic number plate
recognition cameras (ANPR) to target serious and organised crime.
A further 12 have been sent to Staffordshire for the same purpose and
eight CCTV cameras will also be held by West Midlands Police. A total
of 53 cameras were also sent across the country for use during the
Olympics.
Cameras used during the Olympics
5 CCTV cameras redeployed to Coventry Stadium
5 CCTV cameras redeployed to Surrey Police
22 ANPR cameras redeployed to Metropolitan Police
9 ANPR cameras redeployed to Strathclyde Police
2 ANPR cameras redeployed to Essex Police
6 ANPR cameras redeployed to Coventry area
4 ANPR cameras redeployed to Birmingham area
Cameras redeployed to tackle Serious and Organised Crime
12 ANPR cameras redeployed to Staffordshire Police
43 ANPR cameras across the West Midlands
8 CCTV cameras retained by West Midlands Police for use through local tasking
Local Authority
24 CCTV cameras were shared between each of the seven local authorities in the region. Split was determined by population size
Disposal
64 ANPR covert cameras destroyed as not economically or technically viable for redeployment
Retention/Spares
2 CCTV cameras
4 ANPR cameras
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