ANPR in the UK
ANPR is widely used in the UK. License plate recognition is an important part of the “ring of steel” around London. According to the Register, there are over 10,000 license plate cameras in the UK, which are reading 14 million plates into a national database (National ANPR Data Centre). The data, including a picture of the plate, is saved for 2 years.
A recent story in the Independent, highlighted some potential problems with relying on ANPR. The story reports that the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) database is “at least 30 per cent inaccurate” in the UK. This has led to the wrongful arrests and car seizures. Moreover, “In 2008, 16-year-old Hayley Adamson was killed by a Northumberland police officer responding at high speed to incorrect information on the ANPR. The officer was jailed last year.”
The UK’s experience is important for the US. As ALPR gains momentum in the US, lets look for ways to use it effectively.
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