FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 10, 2017 10:00am
(Ottawa) – The Ottawa Police Service began using the Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system in August of 2016. The device assists police in ensuring road safety by identifying a variety of Highway Traffic Act (HTA) infractions, including stolen license plates and suspended or unlicensed drivers.
To date, Traffic Enforcement of the Ottawa Police Service has achieved the following results after approximately 12 months of operation:
- 140 suspended / prohibited drivers
- 255 unlicensed drivers
- 1706 long term expired validations
- 4 stolen vehicles/ plates
- 2 persons on warrant
- Numerous other HTA and Criminal Code offences
“Our Unit has been utilizing this piece of technology for almost 12 months and it has become an enormous success in identifying drivers who should not be on the road,” said Sgt. Robert Cairns, with Ottawa Police Traffic Services.
The success of the project has led to a second unit being added to the fleet for the Traffic Services Unit. The next phase of the project will involve making available an ALPR vehicle to OPS Frontline Patrol Services, in order to increase enforcement throughout the city.
“The use of this technology is an important contribution to ensuring that our roads continue to be safe for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers,” said Rob Wilkinson, Coordinator of Safer Roads Ottawa.
Sgt Cairns would be happy to answer any questions that the media may have in relation to ALPR.
Funding for the purchase of the first and second ALPR units was provided by the Safer Roads Ottawa Program. The Safer Roads Ottawa Program is a leading community partnership between Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Public Health and the Transportation Services Department committed to preventing or eliminating road deaths and serious injuries for all people in the City of Ottawa, through culture change, community engagement, and development of a sustainable safe transportation environment.
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