High-tech cameras have been used in the city to read the number-plates of cars and flag up certain vehicles if they are known to belong to criminals.
The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have been hailed by officers as a deterrent
and a key weapon in reducing crime.
But it is suggested that the success has forced criminals to look elsewhere – and Hucknall has become one of their favourite alternatives.
Coun Chris Baron (Lab), a Hucknall member of Notts County Council, says this is why the number of burglaries in Hucknall has increased in the last two years.
In April and May, 40 houses were broken into – compared to only 23 in the same period in 2006.
Now Coun Baron wants £150,000 splashed on permanent ANPR cameras to afford Hucknall and the rest of Mansfield and Ashfield the same protection as the city.
He said: "Because the cameras have been such a success in the city at reducing the burglary rate, the criminals know about them and it disperses them outside the area."
For years, there have been claims that criminals from areas including Bulwell and Bestwood have also travelled to Hucknall to cause trouble, including town-centre violence on Friday and Saturday nights.
ANPR cameras could also be used to combat this. But the town's police chief, Insp Dean Brown, believes offences such as burglary and car crime would be affected more by the cameras.
He explained that ANPR patrols are already carried out in the town but are done using mobile cameras shared with the rest of Ashfield and Mansfield.
He agrees that permanent cameras would help his officers.
"We obviously get criminals who come to Hucknall from the city," said Insp Brown. "That's always been the case," he said.
"But we work very closely with the city to identify criminals and we put things in place to catch them.
"Only this week, we arrested three suspects with regard to a burglary. They all live in the city. This is a result of understanding who commits crime and who is coming into Hucknall.
"We use ANPR but we are working with the county council and Ashfield District Council on permanent cameras, which would be ideal.
"However it is not the case that criminals are choosing to commit crime in Hucknall instead of the city.
