Darlington Borough Council will extend the town's security system by installing cameras which can read car number plates.
The automatic number plate recognition system can tell police in seconds if a vehicle has been stolen or is known to have been involved in a crime.
The cabinet met yesterday and agreed to allocate up to £20,000 per year to maintain the cameras.
The £200,000 cost of installation will be paid for by Durham police using a Government grant.
Eight locations on the main roads into Darlington and at Durham Tees Valley Airport have been identified as possible sites.
The system will be monitored by the closed-circuit camera control centre in the town hall.
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