Community upset that network of 169 cameras was funded by counter terrorism agency
Police in Birmingham, England are apologizing for not being upfront about the source of their funding for 169 license-plate-tracking cameras that are being installed in predominantly Muslim neighbourhoods. There were angry public meetings last week after residents learned that virtually every car trip in Washwood Heath and Sparkbrook will be recorded and stored for two years. Officials with the Safer Birmingham Partnership (SBP), the coalition of local police and government responsible for the cameras, told the Guardian that their decision to blanket Muslim areas reflected general crime statistics, not just counter terrorism intelligence.