Qld Police to expand number plate recognition

The Queensland Police Service is looking to expand its use of automatic number plate recognition technology

The service bought its first ANPR box in 2011 from provider Aspect following a year-long trial, in order to target unlicensed and unregistered motorists during the Easter school holidays.

It uses the ANPR technology to identify vehicles that aren’t registered, owners of registered vehicles who don’t have a valid Queensland drivers license, stolen vehicles, and those suspected of being involved in an offence.

The technology is currently installed within 25 vehicles. The QPS wants to expand the capability and buy it as a managed service.

The force has asked the state’s shared services body for emergency services, the Public Safety Business Agency (PSBA), to source it a “self-contained ANPR solution”.

Police officers currently install the ANPR boxes into vehicles themselves and remove them after they are no longer required, to return the vehicle to operational condition.

“Vehicle availability is an important factor for QPS and therefore minimisation of vehicle downtime during installation activities is key,” the PSBA said in a tender document.

“Additionally different vehicle makes and models may require different installation activities. Any considerations that would minimise the costs of different vehicles and allow a level of standardisation would be beneficial.”

It has asked the market for information on portable, standalone ANPR solutions and accompanying back office software that can be used with any installed in-vehicle hardware.

Registration plate matches must have a minimum accuracy rate of 95 percent, and the solution must be able to support the interrogation of a database containing at least six million number plates, the PSBA specified.

The solution must also be able to identify at least two number plates per second, per camera.

The PSBA will take submissions as part of an early market engagement until February 23.

Queensland is one of a number of states using automatic number plate recognition technology, alongside NSW and Victoria.

The Coalition signalled its intention to resurrect a proposal to roll out a national ANPR scheme, operated by CrimTrac prior to the 2013 federal election, but the policy has so far failed to get off the ground.