Police are reminding drivers to get their license plates renewed as they begin to test their newly equipped cruisers on local highways.
Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) and In-Car Camera (ICC) systems have now been installed on 300 "West Region" Ontario Provincial Police patrol vehicles.
The rollout, completed last month, is a result of investments made by province to introduce ICC video recording equipment with an integrated ALPR functionality to all its frontline police vehicles at detachments across Ontario.
Waterloo Regional Police Service is among detachments now equipped with the new plate recognition system.
Since ALPR/ICC system installations began in the OPP in February, officers from all 13 West Region detachments have been surprised by the high number of drivers flagged by the system for operating vehicles that do not have valid, registered plates, says a press release.
Although vehicle owners are not required to purchase a validation sticker for their vehicle, licence plates are still required to be renewed annually or bi-annually.
In addition to the benefits that will come with having an objective video recording of an interaction between an officer and member of the public, the integrated ALPR functionality will dramatically enhance the ability of an officer to detect licence plates that are linked with criminal or traffic offences, says the release.
Examples would include plates associated with wanted or missing people, stolen vehicles, stolen or unattached licence plates, suspended and prohibited drivers and with other emergent situations like Amber Alerts.
"These technologies will be used to gather enhanced evidence to be used in the prosecution of offences and will also highlight the professionalism our members display every day as they work to ensure safe communities," the release says.
