POLICE cars equipped with video cameras will soon be patrolling antisocial behaviour "hotspots" in mid Suffolk.The £8,000 vehicles, which will be decked out in silver livery, are being introduced to deter troublemakers and boost surveillance.

POLICE cars equipped with video cameras will soon be patrolling antisocial behaviour "hotspots" in mid Suffolk.

The £8,000 vehicles, which will be decked out in silver livery, are being introduced to deter troublemakers and boost surveillance.

Inspector Nick Bennett, head of the newly-formed western area antisocial behaviour unit, hopes they will become a well-known crime-fighting tool.

He said: "These vehicles will be used for specific incidents and will target hotspot areas.

"We hope the silver vehicle will become known and act as a deterrent to those acting in a disorderly fashion."

The cameras will be fixed inside the front of the cars, but can be manually directed to cover particular incidents.

Microphones will also be wired in to them to monitor exchanges and conversations between police officers and the public.

The introduction of the vehicles is part of a wider drive to combat the growing problem of antisocial behaviour within communities.

This has seen the new antisocial behaviour unit set up to operate from Bury St Edmunds. It has been boosted by £75,000 of government funding.

Insp Bennett added said: "It could be said the authorities haven't embraced the new antisocial behaviour legislation as much as we could've done in the past.

"By having the new unit we hope to take advantage of the expertise available in the field and improve on this."

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