Police used spy cameras on Greater Manchester drivers in almost 250 sites in just one week.
New figures show GMP use automatic number plate recognition more than almost any other force in the country.
The cameras have been blasted by civil rights group Liberty as ‘mass surveillance’ on innocent motorists.
But GMP assistant chief constable Neil Wain described the cameras as ‘an invaluable tool’.
He said: “Many criminals rely on vehicles to commit crime. There are very strong links between illegal use of motor vehicles on the road and other types of serious crime. By denying criminals use of the roads the police will be better able to enforce the law and prevent and detect crime.
“Automatic Number Plate Recognition has been highly effective in securing very quick lines of enquiry that have led to early arrests and in securing the very best evidence to support criminal prosecutions.
“It’s an invaluable tool in the campaign to make our communities safer and to allow the majority of people who lawfully use our roads to continue to do so unhindered.
“The safer our communities and roads are, the better for everyone.”
The cameras can scan a vehicle registration every second and check them against the national police database.
Registration plates are also checked against files held by the DVLA and the Motor Insurers Bureau.
Officers are instantly alerted if there is any reason to pull over a driver.
But civil liberties campaigners have complained that the cameras store data from every vehicle they scan – even those that are of no interest to the police.
All the data used to be stored for five years, but that was reduced to two years following a review by the Information Commissioner’s office.
A GMP spokesperson said the data was only used to check vehicles that had been linked to criminal activity or if a motoring offence has been committed.
Information that is more than three months old can only be accessed in relation to serious crime.
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Typical of GMP. They simply cant catch any other type of offender.
Paranoia is slowly creeping in here. What do you want? Uninsured and non-taxed cars on the road whilst the rest of us pay one way or the other, or a pro-active check which catches law breakers? And "Mass surveillance on innocent motorists". Er, if they're innocent, then they had now't to fear then, did they? Clue in the sentence. And what data did the Police collect? Number plates? Colour of the top the driver was wearing? Everything is held with DVLC which the Police can access as and when anyway, so what extra data did they actually collect?
The police have a database of cars which are used in criminal activity?
I see this as a good thing.
If people can't keep their cars legal, do you think they are otherwise upstanding members of the community?
Catching people running cars illegally will undoubtedly uncover other offenses. The problem is then getting convictions.
Definitely a good thing for the law abiding, is this news meant to be a deterrent or is it just a slow day? ANPR cameras are dotted all over the city and towns, usually on the main roads leading to them, so it's nothing new.
I'd be happy if ANPR equipment was installed and used in every police vehicle - I pay my dues and taxes, and so should everyone else.
I just wish they could put as much effort and thought into solving all crime as they do in finding ways to trap the motorist. As suggested, the motorist is obviously an easy target.
Clearly their should be an offence for drivers who can't read "30" on signs specially round sharston way
"The police have a database of cars which are used in criminal activity?"
You mean you thought that they didn't............?
Years ago we lived in freedom. People did surprising things even in public, but it is like evolution. People do more things people get worried, technology provides solutions, crminals find ways to avoid them. More solutions, greater loss of privacy.
It is like tank warfare. First the tank,then terror,then ways of stopping them, then bigger tanks. In 1939 Britain and USA had a .5" anti tank rifle against German heavily armoured tanks. Britain brought out 2pdr USA 37mm. 37 mm good against Japanese tanks.No good against German. British 6pdr adopted by USA. Tiger and Panther tanks immune. USA 75mm and Shermans no match. British 17pdr good enough. Then we had hollow charge weapons like Bazooka proved devastating.
This battle continued in peace time, but now tanks obsolescent.
Perhaps this surveillance battle will go the same way, but I would not bet on it just yet.
What about implanting a chip in all babies like they do with dogs.
I think whatever happens we have to blame human nature for being so cunning and devious.
So we have cameras that can read a car number plate but can't photograph a human face with any degree of clarity!
ive got to say im all for it, i keep my vehicles safe roadworthy taxed and insured so i have no problem with the police checking my number plate with a camera, after all its on the front and back of the car anyway for all to see !.
what they should be doing is putting these devices on all police cars not just traffic cars then they can catch more of the un insured and un taxed as well as un licensed drivers, i would not mind betting if every single illegal driver was removed from the road we would actually see the roads quieter.
the only time i object to these camera's is the ones on the "smart cars" they are driven by civilian staff and have npr camera's fitted to the roof, i have no problem with this but i do object to the way the drivers park in the center of major junctions etc on THE PAVEMENT this is breaking the law so i cant see how they can prosecute a driver with evidence collected with a vehicle that is illegally parked on the pavement. every single smart car camera unit i have seen has been illegally parked on pavements.
I can understand this being effective but are we not a democracy which states innocent until proven guilty? I am all for catching people who abuse the system but is extreme. Where do you draw the line?
Im no expert in the field, but isn't that Entrapment? Why don't they go out and sort the real crime, like the murderers, rapists etc..
As a law abiding driver who IS taxed, MOT'd and insured I have no problem with this what so ever
Good! I've been hit by an uninsured driver- any initiative to get them off the roads is good in my book.
Honest law abiding driver- nothing to worry about...
Driving a car is a privilage not a right.
We all pay for untaxed, uninsured and unlicenced drivers on our roads. Figures suggest that uninsured drivers cost the insured driver an extra £33 pounds on our premium every year.
I applaud GMP in their efforts to rid the roads of these reckless criminals. Scum like this deserve to be hounded of the road...
Mark - Stretford
Its disgusting, I demand the right to drive my uninsured car with out interference from the police.
I mean...if it was insured and registered to me then I wouldn't be able to speed and jump red lights.
Even worse.....what happens when I run over that small child? I wouldn't be able to just dump the car and burn it out.....I'd have to stop and face the consequences.
Get a grip people, it police are just trying to make of communities safer.
Also the trafford centre have been using ANPR for years.....I bet most of you still go there.
"The cameras have been blasted by civil rights group Liberty as ‘mass surveillance’ on innocent motorists."
Its because of people like this that this country is in the mess it is! Criminals aren't interested in Civil Rights!
What is the issue of storing innocent peoples number plates? Yes it says where that car was at what time and date? If your innocent then nothing will happen with this data so the missus wont find out that you was actually somewhere you shouldn't be.
Besides the "innocent motorist" may infact turn out not to be that. For example, say there were 5 armed robberies around different parts of greater manchester. What if every time there was an armed robbery at a particular place, this "innocent motorist" just happened to ping an ANPR camera in the vicinity of the offence. Could this vehicle be used to transport criminals? Its a line of enquiry the police may have to investigate a crime that may otherwise be unsolveable. This would then allow GMP to "put as much effort and thought into solving all crime as they do in finding ways to trap the motorist".
Until GMP builds up a database of these cars then they wont know which of the innocent motorists aren't actually innocent.
"The cameras have been blasted by civil rights group Liberty as ‘mass surveillance’ on innocent motorists." oh shut up.
People are is being misled here with a picture of a traffic officer. ANPR isn't just about catching uninsured motorists and unroadworthy vehicles. It's about tracking vehicles of criminal interest, stolen vehicles and vehicles used in crime and terrorism.
They should be using the camera's 250 times a minute, never mind a week.
We will soon have less congested streets and they will be far safer.
To anyone with a legitimately registered / taxed / insured car, this should be a good thing surely? The more illegal drivers and uninsured cars off the road the better
Not really got a problem with it. Registration numbers are pretty much a matter of public record and companies can buy them from the DVLA. It seems to give police a more efficient way of targeting motorists who are driving without insurance, MOT etc rather than stopping a car using the 'policeman's nose'. We're all told that our insurance is so expensive because of uninsured drivers, who are more likely to get into accidents so this clearly helps identify those drivers.