ANPR stands for Automatic Number Plate Recognition and it works by converting an image of a number plate into machine-encoded text called optical character recognition. ANPR technology can be used with CCTV, traffic enforcement cameras as well as ANPR-specific cameras. Sometimes infrared illumination is used to help the cameras capture a clearer picture.
You will find ANPR is generally used by two different groups, Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), and private companies. ANPR technology is used on a number of motorway cameras across the country with an estimated 1,100 cameras across 500 sites to check the average speed of vehicles using timed images that are compared from two different locations to determine the speed of which the car is going at in order to issue any relevant fines. The police use the ANPR technology as a way to 'detect, deter and disrupt criminality' which can be anything from from detecting if a vehicle is uninsured or untaxed to locating stolen vehicles or vehicles related to a creme. Around 1,1000 ANPR cameras submit between 50 and 75 million records daily.
ANPR technology is also used in both privately run car parks as well as those managed by local authorities, as it makes it easier for payment processes, visibility of spaces, and ticket-less systems possible. Timed photos from cameras located at the entrance and exit of car parks are used to calculate an time a vehicle has used the facilities , however multiple visits in a 24-hour period could see a vehicles first entry paired with its last exit making it a problem that The British Parking Association advises operators to check all ANPR interactions. Private car parks are self regulated though, through the 'BPA Code of Practice for Parking on Private Land'. But new legislation aimed at tackling rogue private parking firms officially became law in March 2019.
With 1,100 ANPR cameras used by Highways England are identifiable by their bright green casing, not all ANPR camera have the same appearance. With the technology used in multiple areas like speed camera, tolls and car parks you will probably pass ANPR cameras without noticing, especially since ANPR cameras with fixed locations remain undisclosed.
An important question regarding these cameras are, are they being used fairly? New ANPR cameras can only be installed in places that demonstrate a need in an assessment with Law Enforcement Agencies making sure that their use in their fixed location remains justified. However The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is an independent body for upholding rights in the UK and welcomes any complaints about any camera misuses as the use of ANPR cameras and other forms of surveillance must be proportionate to the problem they are trying to address.As with any technology that handles data, there is another important question, what happens to the data that is captured by these ANPR cameras? The National ANPR Service (NAS) is a government program that stores the data from ANPR cameras to then link vehicles with locations and crimes in a way that would otherwise prove impossible. This initiative allows for easy accessibility of data and aims to ensure that the data is stored, accessed and used in a proportionate manner so that privacy of citizens is respected and records are deleted no later than 12 months after their initial capture unless retained by the police.
As more and more ANPR camera are installed and the networks of the cameras continue to grow in size, the smart motorway network by April 2020 had covered 488 miles in England with plans to cover an additional 300 miles of ANPR roads by 2025.