The Road Policing Unit (RPU) works to target travelling criminals, unlicensed and uninsured drivers to make our roads safer. Today Gary helped the RPU while they were conducting an Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR) check in Stratford. The ANPR, as it is called for short, is a system that recognises and reads number plates of vehicles as they pass by the patrol cars.

Can you see Gary helping to adjust the camera? Be careful up there Gary!!.
Once the number plates of passing vehicles have been read the registration numbers are very quickly checked against various databases to see if the vehicle may have been involved in Crime, traffic incidents or if the insurance and road tax are out of date. The officers can then stop vehicles and investigate further.

No problems with this one !

ANPR is a useful tool for reducing crime and making our roads and Neighbourhoods safer places for you and your family. Most criminals use a vehicle of some sort to travel around in daily and while committing crime and this system allows officers to target travelling criminals and uninsured or unlicensed drivers.

This motorcycle was being ridden by an uninsured rider and was seized and removed by RPU officers using new powers under the Road Traffic Act. Not only will the owner have to pay the recovery fee to get his bike back but he will have to prove he has obtained insurance and may also be summonsed to attend court.

Gary says ANPR helps us stop criminals using the roads