It is hoped the announcement of a “massive expansion and enhancement” of automatic number plate recognition systems will help WA Police solve crime faster and more efficiently.
Over the coming months, 100 automatic number plate recognition cameras will be put in place on the back of funding from the state government.
WA Police Acting Commissioner Col Blanch.Credit:Peter de Kruijff
Police will also work alongside organisations which use similar recognition systems, such as shopping centres and airports, linking them to the State Operations Command Centre.
Police Minister Paul Papalia said the systems would be used to alert operators and analysts in real time and help police on the ground “locate criminals and to identify and assist people at risk”.
“A large amount of the work of police at the moment, almost 25 per cent or thereabouts, is associated with persons at risk,” he said.
“Those sorts of things regularly occur and consume a large amount of police time. What this system will do, and the enhancement of it will do, is improve our ability to respond to those things.
“Also it very much lifts our capability in being able to respond to incidents like terrorism, like major crime, and the system has already been used to solve some really serious crimes.
“In effect, we will be creating a virtual ring of steel around the state.”
Acting Police Commissioner Col Blanch said police had mobile and stationary cameras, both hidden and visible, as nearly 80 per cent of crime involved a vehicle.
“We need to help people and save their lives. There’s been numerous examples of where this technology in the last 18 months has saved lives and solve serious crimes,” he said.
“Examples like a child sex offender who had broken his ankle bracelet, his electronic monitoring bracelet, and had tried to flee the state. It was ANPR technology that caught him before he left WA and escaped.
“We’re thankful for the government for giving us the money to continue expanding that capability and protect our state.”
Mr Blanch stressed it was important for police to use the cameras ethically.
“We’re comfortable with a public debate around the comfort of the community for us to be using this technology. I can say it does save lives. It does solve crimes, and I think the community expects that we use technology like this, to do that,” he said.
“The State Operations Command Centre have a very clear threshold about when they search the ANPR database. It’s audited, we can see every officer, check what they’re doing.”