By Matt Jarram, Local Democracy Reporter
Some of the most crime-hit areas of Nottingham are to get a major expansion in street CCTV cameras.
More than £60,000 is being pumped into new cameras at locations including Forest Road West, a known hot spot for drug dealing, fly-tipping, and prostitution.
Streets near the Forest Recreation Ground will also be covered as well as across parts of Hyson Green and Radford.
Many of the new locations are also across the Arboretum area of the city, where Home Office data shows there were 1,809 reports of anti-social behaviour last year as well as 1,020 reports of violence and sexual offences.
Other crimes include 145 burglary and 60 robbery reports, as well as 53 possession of a weapon reports made to Nottinghamshire Police.
However, police say crime has fallen significantly in the Arboretum and that the anti-social behaviour reports include Covid breaches, such as illegal parties and gatherings during lockdowns.
Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry (Con) was awarded £432,000 of government funding to sort the problems blighting the three areas.
Funding has already been pumped into providing alarms, locks, and lighting for properties at risk of burglary and employing a temporary burglary reduction officer.
Nottingham City Council has now accepted £62,301 from the pot to fund 12 CCTV cameras, designed to stop criminals committing offences such as burglary, robbery, theft from a person and vehicle crime.
The cameras will be funded for four years and owned by the council.
They will be installed in Douglas Road, Balfour Road, Baldwin Court and Health Centre, Wood Street into Moorgate Street, Forest Road West / Alfreton Road.
Two cameras will also be placed in Hardy Street, which is close to the Forest Recreation Ground, as well as five adjacent streets just off Alfreton Road at Peveril Street, Oldknow Street, Thurman Street, Cope Street and Collison Street.
Mrs Henry has already stressed she wants to create “a ring of steel” around Nottinghamshire investing in a network of cameras to reduce crime.
She also wants to ensure women feel safer walking around the city, especially at night.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I want the criminals to think ‘we always have eyes on them.’ I want cameras going up everywhere.
“We know where people feel most unsafe and when we crossmatch that with where crimes are taking place, I am very logical.
“There are obvious hotspots where there are gaps, and I am planning to plug those gaps.”
Tracie Bird, who manages student properties in the Arboretum, housing around 150 students, said: “We have got two crack houses on one of the roads in the Arboretum, which are being used for drugs. Students are getting nervous especially the girls.
“It is their first time away from home and it can be scary for them. I think CCTV is a great idea and it is long overdue. We only have one CCTV camera at the top of Arthur Street.
“I think it will make the student population feel a lot safer. I don’t think it has got worse here but you notice it more because we were in lockdown for so long.”
Cllr Azad Choudhry (Lab), ward councillor for Hyson Green and the Arboretum, said the main problems were fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.
He said cameras will help the council and police build “intelligence”.
“Hyson Green used to be a no-go area and people were scared to go on Radford Road. Things are a lot safer now. Drug use and begging is still a problem, but it is not as bad as it used to be,” he added.
Nottingham City Council accepted the funding for the new cameras as part of a delegated decision on February 21.
