Vehicle Crime
Automatic Number Plate Recognition for 23 Forces
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology allows the number plate of any vehicle to be read automatically by computer. ANPR systems can check up to 3000 number plates per hour of vehicles travelling up to 100 mph. Number plates are checked against a variety of computer databases, including the Police National Computer, DVLA databases, including the Police National Computer, DVLA databases and local intelligence databases. Stolen vehicles and those involved in a crime can be highlighted and suspicious vehicles become the focus of police targeted interceptions and enquiries.
The system was piloted in nine forces over a period of six months. It has now been extended to 23 forces: Avon & Somerset, city of London, Cleveland, Greater Manchester Police, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Merseyside, Metropolitan Police, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and West Yorkshire. Each force was provided with one mobile ANPR unit and associated back-up facility as part of the Home Office scheme. Several forces have also purchased additional units.
During the pilot over 300 stolen vehicles were recovered with a value in excess of £2million. The pilot demonstrated a link between vehicle crime and other, more serious, types of crime. In addition to car crimes, the pilot has led to the seizure of £100,000 in illegal drugs and £175,000 in stolen goods. The pilot also led to around 3,000 arrests, with the majority of these being for serious offences. The current pilot involving the 23 forces is achieving very similar results to the original nine forces and it has been agreed by the ACPO and the Police Standards Unit that the pilot will continue until June 2004 to evaluate a full years data.
The initial pilot scheme evaluation was carried out by PA Consulting Group.
Date modified: 13 November 2003
Review date: November 2004
Originator: Crime Reduction Centre Information Team
Last update: 13/11/03