ANPR Camera (general)

Various (Vigilant, NDI, Genetec, Hikvision and others) · Various

What does it do?

Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera. Reads vehicle registration plates and logs the location, date and time. Used by police, local authorities, and private companies for a wide range of purposes including law enforcement, congestion charging, parking management, and journey time monitoring.

Documented capabilities

Reads and records vehicle number plates automatically. Checks plates against databases including the Police National Computer, DVLA records, and insurance databases in real time. Records time, date, location and direction of travel. Data can be stored for up to two years under national ANPR standards. Some systems include overview cameras capturing vehicle colour, make, and images of occupants.

Operator

Police, National Highways, local authorities, private operators

Where it is used

Poles on arterial roads, town entry/exit points, car parks, petrol station forecourts, motorway gantries. Often a small square or rectangular camera with visible infrared illuminators. Can be hard to distinguish from standard CCTV at a distance.

Evidence

National ANPR standards published by the Home Office and the Surveillance Camera Commissioner. Police use governed by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Retention periods and access rules documented but not always consistently applied.

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