Birmingham – Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford says the city plans to put cameras in at least 40 high crime areas starting next year.
Birmingham police chief A.C. Roper said the department is deciding where to put the cameras. He and Langford said the camera locations will not be made public, The Birmingham News reported on its Web site.
The project is being called Operation Vulcan's Thunder and its cost is not clear. But Langford said the recently passed one cent sales tax initiative will pay for the police department's technology upgrade.
Langford said the cameras will be monitored around the clock. He said they will watch a police beat, record evidence for prosecution and speed officer response times.
Ion Interactive, the company that makes the cameras, said the cameras have led to significant crime reduction in parts of Los Angeles and Dallas.
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