The Neighbourhood Renewal Programme has provided Merseyside Police with a Jaguar X Type.
The vehicle is equipped with an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, which is capable of notifying officers of vehicles used to commit crime and is also linked to the Force’s helicopter, providing detailed information including offender location to officers on the ground.
ANPR systems scan number plates and have the capability to check whether vehicles may be involved in illegal activity. Officers can examine intelligence at the touch of a button on a laptop computer at the roadside, and can move at short notice to target the areas where criminals are known to be.
Intelligence databases
The ANPR system can match number plates against information stored in databases, such as the Police National computer, DVLA databases and local intelligence databases, to check if the vehicles are of interest to the police such as stolen cars, or those involved in crime. And the system has the capability to check up to 3,000 number plates an hour.
The vehicle has been patrolling the streets in St Helens since April 2005 and has been instrumental in a number of targeted operations including drug operations and vehicle crime operations, police say.
The vehicle was recently used for a month’s vehicle crime operation and the ANPR element was used around the major arterial routes into and out of the town. The operation provided a barrier for criminals entering the Town and deterred criminals entering St Helens to commit crime, according to police.
Welcome addition
Chief Supt Peter Brinkley said: โThis is a welcome addition to our fleet which has been utilised by Officers in the St Helens Area to prevent crime and detect offenders by denying criminals the right to use our roads. As criminals become increasingly more sophisticated in their activities, vital technology like ANPR will ensure we can continue to arrest criminals, recover stolen goods and vehicles, and ultimately reduce serious crime in our neighbourhoods. We will continue to use a range of initiatives to increase reassurance and safety for the local community. โ
Lynn Clarke, Neighbourhood Initiatives Manager responsible for the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, confirms that the joint working approach adopted by Partners reaps maximum benefits for local residents. This exciting initiative is a valuable asset to the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme here in St Helens. The technology will assist Merseyside Police in preventing and detecting crime and will also contribute to the NRF Programme achieving its target of reducing crime in the area, thereby ensuring local people feel safer.โ
