<s>
Automatic	B-Application
number-plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
(	O
ANPR	B-Application
;	O
see	O
also	O
other	O
names	O
below	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
technology	O
that	O
uses	O
optical	B-Application
character	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
on	O
images	O
to	O
read	O
vehicle	O
registration	O
plates	O
to	O
create	O
vehicle	O
location	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
can	O
use	O
existing	O
closed-circuit	O
television	O
,	O
road-rule	B-General_Concept
enforcement	I-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
,	O
or	O
cameras	O
specifically	O
designed	O
for	O
the	O
task	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
used	O
by	O
police	O
forces	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
for	O
law	O
enforcement	O
purposes	O
,	O
including	O
to	O
check	O
if	O
a	O
vehicle	O
is	O
registered	O
or	O
licensed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Automatic	B-Application
number-plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
store	O
the	O
images	O
captured	O
by	O
the	O
cameras	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
text	O
from	O
the	O
license	O
plate	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
configurable	O
to	O
store	O
a	O
photograph	O
of	O
the	O
driver	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
technology	O
must	O
take	O
into	O
account	O
plate	O
variations	O
from	O
place	O
to	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Privacy	O
issues	O
have	O
caused	O
concerns	O
about	O
ANPR	B-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
government	O
tracking	O
citizens	O
 '	O
movements	O
,	O
misidentification	O
,	O
high	O
error	O
rates	O
,	O
and	O
increased	O
government	O
spending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
sometimes	O
known	O
by	O
various	O
other	O
terms	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
was	O
invented	O
in	O
1976	O
at	O
the	O
Police	O
Scientific	O
Development	O
Branch	O
in	O
Britain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
ANPR	B-Application
did	O
not	O
become	O
widely	O
used	O
until	O
new	O
developments	O
in	O
cheaper	O
and	O
easier	O
to	O
use	O
software	O
were	O
pioneered	O
during	O
the	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
collection	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
data	O
for	O
future	O
use	O
(	O
i.e.	O
,	O
in	O
solving	O
then-unidentified	O
crimes	O
)	O
was	O
documented	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
2000s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
documented	O
case	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
being	O
used	O
to	O
help	O
solve	O
a	O
murder	O
occurred	O
in	O
November	O
2005	O
,	O
in	O
Bradford	B-Application
,	O
UK	O
,	O
where	O
ANPR	B-Application
played	O
a	O
vital	O
role	O
in	O
locating	O
and	O
subsequently	O
convicting	O
killers	O
of	O
Sharon	O
Beshenivsky	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
runs	O
on	O
standard	O
home	O
computer	B-Architecture
hardware	I-Architecture
and	O
can	O
be	O
linked	O
to	O
other	O
applications	O
or	O
databases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
first	O
uses	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
image	O
manipulation	O
techniques	O
to	O
detect	O
,	O
normalize	O
and	O
enhance	O
the	O
image	O
of	O
the	O
number	O
plate	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
optical	B-Application
character	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
(	O
OCR	B-Application
)	O
to	O
extract	O
the	O
alphanumerics	O
of	O
the	O
license	O
plate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
are	O
generally	O
deployed	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
two	O
basic	O
approaches	O
:	O
one	O
allows	O
for	O
the	O
entire	O
process	O
to	O
be	O
performed	O
at	O
the	O
lane	O
location	O
in	O
real-time	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
transmits	O
all	O
the	O
images	O
from	O
many	O
lanes	O
to	O
a	O
remote	O
computer	O
location	O
and	O
performs	O
the	O
OCR	B-Application
process	O
there	O
at	O
some	O
later	O
point	O
in	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
other	O
arrangement	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
typically	O
large	O
numbers	O
of	O
PCs	O
used	O
in	O
a	O
server	B-Operating_System
farm	I-Operating_System
to	O
handle	O
high	O
workloads	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
those	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
London	O
congestion	O
charge	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
uses	O
optical	B-Application
character	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
(	O
OCR	B-Application
)	O
on	O
images	O
taken	O
by	O
cameras	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
license	O
plate	O
arrangements	O
use	O
variations	O
in	O
font	O
sizes	O
and	O
positioning	O
—	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
must	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
cope	O
with	O
such	O
differences	O
to	O
be	O
truly	O
effective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cameras	O
used	O
can	O
be	O
existing	O
road-rule	B-General_Concept
enforcement	O
or	O
closed-circuit	O
television	O
cameras	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
mobile	O
units	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
usually	O
attached	O
to	O
vehicles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
significant	O
advances	O
in	O
technology	O
took	O
automatic	B-Application
number-plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
(	O
ANPR	B-Application
)	O
systems	O
from	O
limited	O
expensive	O
,	O
hard	O
to	O
set	O
up	O
,	O
fixed	O
based	O
applications	O
to	O
simple	O
"	O
point	O
and	O
shoot	O
"	O
mobile	O
ones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
made	O
possible	O
by	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
software	O
that	O
ran	O
on	O
cheaper	O
PC	O
based	O
,	O
non-specialist	O
hardware	B-Architecture
that	O
also	O
no	O
longer	O
needed	O
to	O
be	O
given	O
the	O
pre-defined	O
angles	O
,	O
direction	O
,	O
size	O
and	O
speed	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
plates	O
would	O
be	O
passing	O
the	O
camera	O
's	O
field	O
of	O
view	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
their	O
effectiveness	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
noteworthy	O
challenges	O
related	O
with	O
mobile	O
ANPRs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Algorithms	O
must	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
compensate	O
for	O
all	O
the	O
variables	O
that	O
can	O
affect	O
the	O
ANPR	B-Application
's	O
ability	O
to	O
produce	O
an	O
accurate	O
read	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
time	O
of	O
day	O
,	O
weather	O
and	O
angles	O
between	O
the	O
cameras	O
and	O
the	O
license	O
plates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Installing	O
ANPR	B-Application
cameras	O
on	O
law	O
enforcement	O
in	O
the	O
vehicles	O
requires	O
careful	O
consideration	O
of	O
the	O
juxtaposition	O
of	O
the	O
cameras	O
to	O
the	O
license	O
plates	O
they	O
are	O
to	O
read	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
third	O
phase	O
(	O
normalization	O
)	O
,	O
some	O
systems	O
use	O
edge	B-Algorithm
detection	I-Algorithm
techniques	O
to	O
increase	O
the	O
picture	O
difference	O
between	O
the	O
letters	O
and	O
the	O
plate	O
backing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
median	B-Algorithm
filter	I-Algorithm
may	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
reduce	O
the	O
visual	O
noise	O
on	O
the	O
image	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
some	O
of	O
these	O
problems	O
can	O
be	O
corrected	O
within	O
the	O
software	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
primarily	O
left	O
to	O
the	O
hardware	B-Architecture
side	O
of	O
the	O
system	O
to	O
work	O
out	O
solutions	O
to	O
these	O
difficulties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
this	O
level	O
of	O
inaccuracy	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
acceptable	O
in	O
most	O
applications	O
of	O
an	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
front	O
end	O
of	O
any	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
is	O
the	O
imaging	O
hardware	B-Architecture
which	O
captures	O
the	O
image	O
of	O
the	O
license	O
plates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
initial	O
image	O
capture	O
forms	O
a	O
critically	O
important	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
which	O
,	O
in	O
accordance	O
to	O
the	O
garbage	O
in	O
,	O
garbage	O
out	O
principle	O
of	O
computing	O
,	O
will	O
often	O
determine	O
the	O
overall	O
performance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
License	O
plate	O
capture	O
is	O
typically	O
performed	O
by	O
specialized	O
cameras	O
designed	O
specifically	O
for	O
the	O
task	O
,	O
although	O
new	O
software	O
techniques	O
are	O
being	O
implemented	O
that	O
support	O
any	O
IP-based	B-Algorithm
surveillance	I-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
and	O
increase	O
the	O
utility	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
for	O
perimeter	O
security	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
only	O
possible	O
on	O
dedicated	O
ANPR	B-Application
cameras	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
cameras	O
used	O
for	O
other	O
purposes	O
must	O
rely	O
more	O
heavily	O
on	O
the	O
software	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Further	O
,	O
when	O
a	O
full-colour	O
image	O
is	O
required	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
ANPR-retrieved	O
details	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
necessary	O
to	O
have	O
one	O
infrared-enabled	O
camera	O
and	O
one	O
normal	O
(	O
colour	O
)	O
camera	O
working	O
together	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
the	O
car	O
is	O
moving	O
,	O
slower	O
shutter	O
speeds	O
could	O
result	O
in	O
an	O
image	O
which	O
is	O
too	O
blurred	O
to	O
read	O
using	O
the	O
OCR	B-Application
software	O
,	O
especially	O
if	O
the	O
camera	O
is	O
much	O
higher	O
up	O
than	O
the	O
vehicle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
State	O
Police	O
Forces	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Department	O
of	O
Justice	O
(	O
Victoria	O
)	O
use	O
both	O
fixed	O
and	O
mobile	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
New	O
South	O
Wales	O
Police	O
Force	O
Highway	O
Patrol	O
were	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
trial	O
and	O
use	O
a	O
fixed	O
ANPR	B-Application
camera	O
system	O
in	O
Australia	O
in	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
they	O
began	O
a	O
roll-out	O
of	O
a	O
mobile	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
(	O
known	O
officially	O
as	O
MANPR	O
)	O
with	O
three	O
infrared	O
cameras	O
fitted	O
to	O
its	O
Highway	O
Patrol	O
fleet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
city	O
of	O
Mechelen	O
uses	O
an	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
since	O
September	O
2011	O
to	O
scan	O
all	O
cars	O
crossing	O
the	O
city	O
limits	O
(	O
inbound	O
and	O
outbound	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Federal	O
,	O
provincial	O
,	O
and	O
municipal	O
police	O
services	O
across	O
Canada	O
use	O
automatic	B-Application
licence	I-Application
plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
software	O
;	O
they	O
are	O
also	O
used	O
on	O
certain	O
toll	O
routes	O
and	O
by	O
parking	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
11	O
March	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
Federal	O
Constitutional	O
Court	O
of	O
Germany	O
ruled	O
that	O
some	O
areas	O
of	O
the	O
laws	O
permitting	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
automated	B-Application
number	I-Application
plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
systems	O
in	O
Germany	O
violated	O
the	O
right	O
to	O
privacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
160	O
portable	O
traffic	O
enforcement	O
and	O
data-gathering	O
units	O
and	O
365	O
permanent	O
gantry	O
installations	O
were	O
brought	O
online	O
with	O
ANPR	B-Application
,	O
speed	O
detection	O
,	O
imaging	O
and	O
statistical	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
consists	O
of	O
a	O
portable	O
computer	O
equipped	O
with	O
a	O
web	O
camera	O
that	O
scans	O
the	O
stolen	O
car	O
database	O
using	O
automatic	B-Application
number-plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
system	O
is	O
installed	O
on	O
the	O
dashboard	O
of	O
selected	O
patrol	O
vehicles	O
(	O
PDA-based	O
hand-held	O
versions	O
also	O
exist	O
)	O
and	O
is	O
mainly	O
used	O
to	O
control	O
the	O
license	O
plate	O
of	O
parking	O
cars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2012	O
,	O
the	O
fine	O
for	O
exceeding	O
the	O
speed	B-Application
limit	I-Application
for	O
more	O
than	O
30%	O
is	O
approximately	O
US$175	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Home	O
Office	O
states	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
automatic	B-Application
number-plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
is	O
to	O
help	O
detect	O
,	O
deter	O
and	O
disrupt	O
criminality	O
including	O
tackling	O
organised	O
crime	O
groups	O
and	O
terrorists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vehicle	O
movements	O
are	O
recorded	O
by	O
a	O
network	O
of	O
nearly	O
8000	O
cameras	O
capturing	O
between	O
25	O
and	O
30	O
million	O
ANPR	B-Application
‘	O
read’	O
records	O
daily	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
records	O
are	O
stored	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
two	O
years	O
in	O
the	O
National	B-Application
ANPR	I-Application
Data	I-Application
Centre	I-Application
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
accessed	O
,	O
analysed	O
and	O
used	O
as	O
evidence	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
investigations	O
by	O
UK	O
law	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Under	O
this	O
Act	O
,	O
the	O
Home	O
Office	O
published	O
a	O
code	O
of	O
practice	O
in	O
2013	O
for	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
surveillance	O
cameras	O
,	O
including	O
ANPR	B-Application
,	O
by	O
government	O
and	O
law	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
2019	O
,	O
private	O
companies	O
like	O
Flock	B-Application
Safety	I-Application
have	O
grown	O
rapidly	O
,	O
promoting	O
stationary	O
ALPR	B-Application
cameras	I-Application
to	O
private	O
individuals	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
neighbourhood	O
associations	O
and	O
law	O
enforcement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	O
ANPR	B-Application
use	O
is	O
widespread	O
among	O
US	O
law	O
enforcement	O
agencies	O
at	O
the	O
city	O
,	O
county	O
,	O
state	O
and	O
federal	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
2012	O
report	O
by	O
the	O
Police	O
Executive	O
Research	O
Forum	O
,	O
approximately	O
71%	O
of	O
all	O
US	O
police	O
departments	O
use	O
some	O
form	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	O
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
becoming	O
a	O
significant	O
component	O
of	O
municipal	O
predictive	O
policing	O
strategies	O
and	O
intelligence	O
gathering	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
for	O
recovery	O
of	O
stolen	O
vehicles	O
,	O
identification	O
of	O
wanted	O
felons	O
,	O
and	O
revenue	O
collection	O
from	O
individuals	O
who	O
are	O
delinquent	O
on	O
city	O
or	O
state	O
taxes	O
or	O
fines	O
,	O
or	O
monitoring	O
for	O
Amber	O
Alerts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
real-time	O
processing	O
of	O
license	O
plate	O
numbers	O
,	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
collect	O
(	O
and	O
can	O
indefinitely	O
store	O
)	O
data	O
from	O
each	O
license	O
plate	O
capture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
private	O
sector	O
mobile	O
ANPR	B-Application
applications	O
have	O
been	O
for	O
vehicle	O
repossession	O
and	O
recovery	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
application	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
by	O
private	O
companies	O
to	O
collect	O
information	O
from	O
privately	O
owned	O
vehicles	O
or	O
collected	O
from	O
private	O
property	O
(	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
driveways	O
)	O
has	O
become	O
an	O
issue	O
of	O
sensitivity	O
and	O
public	O
debate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
ANPR	B-Application
uses	O
include	O
parking	O
enforcement	O
,	O
and	O
revenue	O
collection	O
from	O
individuals	O
who	O
are	O
delinquent	O
on	O
city	O
or	O
state	O
taxes	O
or	O
fines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
show	O
,	O
tow	O
truck	O
drivers	O
and	O
booting	O
teams	O
use	O
the	O
ANPR	B-Application
to	O
find	O
delinquent	O
vehicles	O
with	O
high	O
amounts	O
of	O
unpaid	O
parking	O
fines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Supreme	O
Court	O
of	O
Virginia	B-Application
ruled	O
in	O
2018	O
that	O
data	O
collected	O
from	O
ALPRs	B-Application
can	O
constitute	O
personal	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
on	O
1	O
April	O
2019	O
,	O
a	O
Fairfax	O
County	O
judge	O
issued	O
an	O
injunction	O
prohibiting	O
the	O
Fairfax	O
County	O
Police	O
Department	O
from	O
collecting	O
and	O
storing	O
ALPR	B-Application
data	O
outside	O
of	O
an	O
investigation	O
or	O
intelligence	O
gathering	O
related	O
to	O
a	O
criminal	O
investigation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
22	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
Supreme	O
Court	O
of	O
Virginia	B-Application
overturned	O
that	O
decision	O
,	O
ruling	O
that	O
the	O
data	O
collected	O
was	O
not	O
personal	O
,	O
identifying	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2020	O
,	O
the	O
Massachusetts	O
Supreme	O
Judicial	O
Court	O
found	O
that	O
the	O
warrantless	O
use	O
of	O
automated	O
license	B-Application
plate	I-Application
readers	I-Application
to	O
surveil	O
a	O
suspected	O
heroin	O
distributor	O
's	O
bridge	O
crossings	O
to	O
Cape	O
Cod	O
did	O
not	O
violate	O
the	O
Fourth	O
Amendment	O
to	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Constitution	O
only	O
because	O
of	O
the	O
limited	O
time	O
and	O
scope	O
of	O
the	O
observations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
used	O
for	O
speed	B-Application
limit	I-Application
enforcement	O
in	O
Australia	O
,	O
Austria	O
,	O
Belgium	O
,	O
Dubai	O
(	O
UAE	O
)	O
,	O
France	O
,	O
Ireland	O
,	O
Italy	O
,	O
The	O
Netherlands	O
,	O
Spain	O
,	O
South	O
Africa	O
,	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
and	O
Kuwait	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
cameras	O
are	O
claimed	O
to	O
have	O
an	O
advantage	O
over	O
traditional	O
speed	B-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
in	O
maintaining	O
steady	O
legal	O
speeds	O
over	O
extended	O
distances	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
encouraging	O
heavy	O
braking	O
on	O
approach	O
to	O
specific	O
camera	O
locations	O
and	O
subsequent	O
acceleration	O
back	O
to	O
illegal	O
speeds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Average	O
speed	B-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
(	O
trajectcontrole	O
)	O
are	O
in	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
since	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
first	O
experimental	O
system	O
was	O
tested	O
on	O
a	O
short	O
stretch	O
of	O
the	O
A2	O
in	O
1997	O
and	O
was	O
deemed	O
a	O
big	O
success	O
by	O
the	O
police	O
,	O
reducing	O
overspeeding	O
to	O
0.66	O
%	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
5	O
to	O
6%	O
when	O
regular	O
speed	B-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
were	O
used	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
permanent	O
average	O
speed	B-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
were	O
installed	O
on	O
the	O
A13	O
in	O
2002	O
,	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
speed	B-Application
limit	I-Application
was	O
reduced	O
to	O
80km/h	O
to	O
limit	O
noise	O
and	O
air	O
pollution	O
in	O
the	O
area	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
average	O
speed	B-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
resulted	O
in	O
1.7	O
million	O
fines	O
for	O
overspeeding	O
out	O
of	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
9.7	O
millions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
Dutch	O
Attorney	O
General	O
,	O
the	O
average	O
number	O
of	O
violation	O
of	O
the	O
speed	B-Application
limits	I-Application
on	O
motorway	O
sections	O
equipped	O
with	O
average	O
speed	B-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
is	O
between	O
1	O
and	O
2%	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
10	O
to	O
15%	O
elsewhere	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
notable	O
stretches	O
of	O
average	O
speed	B-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
in	O
the	O
UK	O
is	O
found	O
on	O
the	O
A77	O
road	O
in	O
Scotland	O
,	O
with	O
being	O
monitored	O
between	O
Kilmarnock	O
and	O
Girvan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
it	O
was	O
confirmed	O
that	O
speeding	O
tickets	O
could	O
potentially	O
be	O
avoided	O
from	O
the	O
'	O
SPECS	B-Algorithm
 '	O
cameras	O
by	O
changing	O
lanes	O
and	O
the	O
RAC	O
Foundation	O
feared	O
that	O
people	O
may	O
play	O
"	O
Russian	O
Roulette	O
"	O
changing	O
from	O
one	O
lane	O
to	O
another	O
to	O
lessen	O
their	O
odds	O
of	O
being	O
caught	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
in	O
2007	O
the	O
system	O
was	O
upgraded	O
for	O
multi-lane	O
use	O
and	O
in	O
2008	O
the	O
manufacturer	O
described	O
the	O
"	O
myth	O
"	O
as	O
"	O
categorically	O
untrue	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
exists	O
evidence	O
that	O
implementation	O
of	O
systems	O
such	O
as	O
SPECS	B-Algorithm
has	O
a	O
considerable	O
effect	O
on	O
the	O
volume	O
of	O
drivers	O
travelling	O
at	O
excessive	O
speeds	O
;	O
on	O
the	O
stretch	O
of	O
road	O
mentioned	O
above	O
(	O
A77	O
Between	O
Glasgow	O
and	O
Ayr	O
)	O
there	O
has	O
been	O
noted	O
a	O
"	O
huge	O
drop	O
"	O
in	O
speeding	O
violations	O
since	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
a	O
SPECS	B-Algorithm
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recent	O
innovations	O
have	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
adoption	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
for	O
perimeter	O
security	O
and	O
access	O
control	O
applications	O
at	O
government	O
facilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
the	O
US	O
,	O
"	O
homeland	O
security	O
"	O
efforts	O
to	O
protect	O
against	O
alleged	O
"	O
acts	O
of	O
terrorism	O
"	O
have	O
resulted	O
in	O
adoption	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
for	O
sensitive	O
facilities	O
such	O
as	O
embassies	O
,	O
schools	O
,	O
airports	O
,	O
maritime	O
ports	O
,	O
military	O
and	O
federal	O
buildings	O
,	O
law	O
enforcement	O
and	O
government	O
facilities	O
,	O
and	O
transportation	O
centers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
marketed	O
as	O
able	O
to	O
be	O
implemented	O
through	O
networks	O
of	O
IP	O
based	O
surveillance	O
cameras	O
that	O
perform	O
"	O
double	O
duty	O
"	O
alongside	O
facial	O
recognition	O
,	O
object	O
tracking	O
,	O
and	O
recording	O
systems	O
for	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
monitoring	O
suspicious	O
or	O
anomalous	O
behavior	O
,	O
improving	O
access	O
control	O
,	O
and	O
matching	O
against	O
watch	O
lists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
are	O
most	O
commonly	O
installed	O
at	O
points	O
of	O
significant	O
sensitivity	O
,	O
ingress	O
or	O
egress	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Major	O
US	O
agencies	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Department	O
of	O
Homeland	O
Security	O
,	O
the	O
Department	O
of	O
Justice	O
,	O
the	O
Department	O
of	O
Transportation	O
and	O
the	O
Department	O
of	O
Defense	O
have	O
purchased	O
ANPR	B-Application
for	O
perimeter	O
security	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Large	O
networks	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
are	O
being	O
installed	O
by	O
cities	O
such	O
as	O
Boston	O
,	O
London	O
and	O
New	O
York	O
City	O
to	O
provide	O
citywide	O
protection	O
against	O
acts	O
of	O
terrorism	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
provide	O
support	O
for	O
public	O
gatherings	O
and	O
public	O
spaces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Center	O
For	O
Evidence-Based	O
Crime	O
Policy	O
in	O
George	O
Mason	O
University	O
identifies	O
the	O
following	O
randomized	O
controlled	O
trials	O
of	O
automatic	B-Application
number-plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
technology	O
as	O
very	O
rigorous	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
government	O
facilities	O
,	O
many	O
private	O
sector	O
industries	O
with	O
facility	O
security	O
concerns	O
are	O
beginning	O
to	O
implement	O
ANPR	B-Application
solutions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
providing	O
perimeter	O
security	O
,	O
private	O
ANPR	B-Application
has	O
service	O
applications	O
for	O
valet	O
/	O
recognized	O
customer	O
and	O
VIP	O
recognition	O
,	O
logistics	O
and	O
key	O
personnel	O
tracking	O
,	O
sales	O
and	O
advertising	O
,	O
parking	O
management	O
,	O
and	O
logistics	O
(	O
vendor	O
and	O
support	O
vehicle	O
tracking	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
using	O
ANPR	B-Application
on	O
this	O
footage	O
it	O
is	O
possible	O
to	O
monitor	O
the	O
travel	O
of	O
individual	O
vehicles	O
,	O
automatically	O
providing	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
speed	O
and	O
flow	O
of	O
various	O
routes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
provide	O
average	O
point-to-point	O
journey	O
times	O
along	O
particular	O
routes	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
displayed	O
on	O
a	O
variable-message	O
sign(VMS )	O
giving	O
drivers	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
plan	O
their	O
route	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ROMANSE	O
also	O
allows	O
travellers	O
to	O
see	O
the	O
current	O
situation	O
using	O
a	O
mobile	O
device	O
with	O
an	O
Internet	O
connection	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
WAP	B-Protocol
,	O
GPRS	B-General_Concept
or	O
3G	B-Architecture
)	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
view	O
mobile	O
device	O
CCTV	O
images	O
within	O
the	O
Hampshire	O
road	O
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
UK	O
company	O
Trafficmaster	O
has	O
used	O
ANPR	B-Application
since	O
1998	O
to	O
estimate	O
average	O
traffic	O
speeds	O
on	O
non-motorway	O
roads	O
without	O
the	O
results	O
being	O
skewed	O
by	O
local	O
fluctuations	O
caused	O
by	O
traffic	O
lights	O
and	O
similar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
now	O
operates	O
a	O
network	O
of	O
over	O
4000	O
ANPR	B-Application
cameras	O
,	O
but	O
claims	O
that	O
only	O
the	O
four	O
most	O
central	O
digits	O
are	O
identified	O
,	O
and	O
no	O
numberplate	O
data	O
is	O
retained	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ontario	B-Architecture
's	O
407	O
ETR	O
highway	O
uses	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
and	O
radio	O
transponders	B-Architecture
to	O
toll	O
vehicles	O
entering	O
and	O
exiting	O
the	O
road	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Radio	O
antennas	O
are	O
located	O
at	O
each	O
junction	O
and	O
detect	O
the	O
transponders	B-Architecture
,	O
logging	O
the	O
unique	O
identity	O
of	O
each	O
vehicle	O
in	O
much	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
as	O
the	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
does	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Without	O
ANPR	B-Application
as	O
a	O
second	O
system	O
it	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
possible	O
to	O
monitor	O
all	O
the	O
traffic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Drivers	O
who	O
opt	O
to	O
rent	O
a	O
transponder	B-Architecture
for	O
C	O
$2.55	O
per	O
month	O
are	O
not	O
charged	O
the	O
"	O
Video	B-Device
Toll	I-Device
Charge	O
"	O
of	O
C	O
$3.60	O
for	O
using	O
the	O
road	O
,	O
with	O
heavy	O
vehicles	O
(	O
those	O
with	O
a	O
gross	O
weight	O
of	O
over	O
5,000	O
kg	O
)	O
being	O
required	O
to	O
use	O
one	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
numerous	O
other	O
electronic	O
toll	O
collection	O
networks	O
which	O
use	O
this	O
combination	O
of	O
Radio	B-Application
frequency	I-Application
identification	I-Application
and	O
ANPR	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
E-ZPass	O
in	O
New	O
York	O
,	O
New	O
Jersey	O
,	O
Pennsylvania	O
,	O
Massachusetts	O
(	O
as	O
Fast	O
Lane	O
until	O
2012	O
)	O
,	O
Virginia	B-Application
(	O
formerly	O
Smart	B-Application
Tag	I-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
states	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maryland	O
Route	O
200	O
uses	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
E-ZPass	O
and	O
ANPR	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
RFID-like	O
to	O
read	O
on-board	O
smart	B-Application
tags	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
smart	B-Application
tag	I-Application
is	O
installed	O
in	O
the	O
vehicle	O
,	O
the	O
car	O
is	O
quickly	O
identified	O
and	O
owner	O
's	O
bank	O
account	O
is	O
automatically	O
deducted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
car	O
does	O
not	O
have	O
the	O
smart	B-Application
tag	I-Application
,	O
the	O
driver	O
is	O
required	O
to	O
go	O
to	O
a	O
pay	O
station	O
to	O
pay	O
the	O
tolls	O
between	O
3rd	O
and	O
5th	O
day	O
after	O
with	O
a	O
surplus	O
charge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Transport	O
for	O
London	O
(	O
TfL	O
)	O
uses	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
and	O
charges	O
motorists	O
a	O
daily	O
fee	O
of	O
£11.50	O
if	O
they	O
enter	O
,	O
leave	O
or	O
move	O
around	O
within	O
the	O
congestion	O
charge	O
zone	O
between	O
7	O
a.m.	O
and	O
6:00p.m.	O
,	O
Monday	O
to	O
Friday	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
currently	O
1,500	O
cameras	O
which	O
use	O
automatic	B-Application
number	I-Application
plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
(	O
ANPR	B-Application
)	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
video	O
streams	O
are	O
transmitted	O
to	O
a	O
data	O
centre	O
located	O
in	O
central	O
London	O
where	O
the	O
ANPR	B-Application
software	O
deduces	O
the	O
registration	O
plate	O
of	O
the	O
vehicle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Johannesburg	O
,	O
South	O
Africa	O
,	O
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
used	O
for	O
the	O
etoll	O
fee	O
collection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
freeways	O
with	O
ANPR	B-Application
are	O
the	O
N12	O
,	O
N3	O
,	O
N1	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Stockholm	O
,	O
Sweden	O
,	O
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
used	O
for	O
the	O
Stockholm	O
congestion	O
tax	O
,	O
owners	O
of	O
cars	O
driving	O
into	O
or	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
inner	O
city	O
must	O
pay	O
a	O
charge	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
the	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
UK	O
companies	O
and	O
agencies	O
use	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
may	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
for/by	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Vehicle	O
owners	O
have	O
used	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
techniques	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
evade	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
and	O
road-rule	B-General_Concept
enforcement	I-General_Concept
cameras	I-General_Concept
in	O
general	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Novelty	O
frames	O
around	O
Texas	O
license	O
plates	O
were	O
made	O
illegal	O
in	O
Texas	O
on	O
1	O
September	O
2003	O
by	O
Texas	O
Senate	O
Bill	O
439	O
because	O
they	O
caused	O
problems	O
with	O
ANPR	B-Application
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
an	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
cannot	O
read	O
the	O
plate	O
,	O
it	O
can	O
flag	O
the	O
image	O
for	O
attention	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
human	O
operators	O
looking	O
to	O
see	O
if	O
they	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
identify	O
the	O
alphanumerics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
researchers	O
at	O
Sunflex	O
Zone	O
Ltd	O
created	O
a	O
privacy	O
license	O
plate	O
frame	O
that	O
uses	O
near	O
infrared	O
light	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
license	O
plate	O
unreadable	O
to	O
license	B-Application
plate	I-Application
recognition	I-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
introduction	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
has	O
led	O
to	O
fears	O
of	O
misidentification	O
and	O
the	O
furthering	O
of	O
1984-style	O
surveillance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Perhaps	O
the	O
best	O
known	O
incident	O
involving	O
the	O
abuse	O
of	O
an	O
ANPR	B-Application
database	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
is	O
the	O
case	O
of	O
Edmonton	O
Sun	O
reporter	O
Kerry	O
Diotte	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Diotte	O
wrote	O
an	O
article	O
critical	O
of	O
Edmonton	O
police	O
use	O
of	O
traffic	O
cameras	O
for	O
revenue	O
enhancement	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
retaliation	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
an	O
ANPR	B-Application
database	O
of	O
"	O
high-risk	O
drivers	O
"	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
monitor	O
his	O
habits	O
and	O
create	O
an	O
opportunity	O
to	O
arrest	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
is	O
also	O
a	O
case	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
for	O
saying	O
that	O
use	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
cameras	O
is	O
unlawful	O
under	O
the	O
Regulation	O
of	O
Investigatory	O
Powers	O
Act	O
2000	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
breach	O
exists	O
,	O
some	O
say	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
ANPR	B-Application
is	O
used	O
to	O
monitor	O
the	O
activities	O
of	O
law-abiding	O
citizens	O
and	O
treats	O
everyone	O
like	O
the	O
suspected	O
criminals	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
surveyed	O
under	O
the	O
Act	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
police	O
themselves	O
have	O
been	O
known	O
to	O
refer	O
to	O
the	O
system	O
of	O
ANPR	B-Application
as	O
a	O
"	O
24/7	O
traffic	O
movement	O
database	O
"	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
diversion	O
from	O
its	O
intended	O
purpose	O
of	O
identifying	O
vehicles	O
involved	O
in	O
criminal	O
activities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Likewise	O
,	O
stolen	O
vehicles	O
are	O
read	O
by	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
between	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
theft	O
and	O
report	O
to	O
the	O
Police	O
,	O
assisting	O
in	O
the	O
investigation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Police	O
in	O
unmarked	O
cars	O
outfitted	O
with	O
electronic	O
license	B-Application
plate	I-Application
readers	I-Application
would	O
drive	O
down	O
the	O
street	O
and	O
automatically	O
catalog	O
the	O
plates	O
of	O
everyone	O
parked	O
near	O
the	O
mosque	O
,	O
amassing	O
a	O
covert	O
database	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
distributed	O
among	O
officers	O
and	O
used	O
to	O
profile	O
Muslims	O
in	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2013	O
the	O
American	O
Civil	O
Liberties	O
Union	O
(	O
ACLU	O
)	O
released	O
26,000	O
pages	O
of	O
data	O
about	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
obtained	O
from	O
local	O
,	O
state	O
,	O
and	O
federal	O
agencies	O
through	O
freedom	O
of	O
information	O
laws	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Private	O
companies	O
are	O
also	O
using	O
license	B-Application
plate	I-Application
readers	I-Application
and	O
sharing	O
the	O
information	O
they	O
collect	O
with	O
police	O
with	O
little	O
or	O
no	O
oversight	O
or	O
privacy	O
protections	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
the	O
ACLU	O
filed	O
suit	O
against	O
the	O
Department	O
of	O
Homeland	O
Security	O
,	O
which	O
funds	O
many	O
local	O
and	O
state	O
ANPR	B-Application
programs	O
through	O
grants	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
agency	O
failed	O
to	O
provide	O
access	O
to	O
records	O
the	O
ACLU	O
had	O
requested	O
under	O
the	O
Freedom	O
of	O
Information	O
Act	O
about	O
the	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2020	O
,	O
The	O
Register	O
UK	O
with	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
security	O
researchers	O
discovered	O
nine	O
million	O
ANPR	B-Application
logs	O
left	O
wide-open	O
on	O
the	O
internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
ANPR	B-Application
systems	O
claim	O
accuracy	O
when	O
trained	O
to	O
match	O
plates	O
from	O
a	O
single	O
jurisdiction	O
or	O
region	O
,	O
but	O
can	O
fail	O
when	O
trying	O
to	O
recognize	O
plates	O
from	O
other	O
jurisdictions	O
due	O
to	O
variations	O
in	O
format	O
,	O
font	O
,	O
color	O
,	O
layout	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
plate	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
time	O
to	O
time	O
,	O
US	O
states	O
will	O
make	O
significant	O
changes	O
in	O
their	O
license	O
plate	O
protocol	O
that	O
will	O
affect	O
OCR	B-Application
accuracy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ALPR	B-Application
systems	O
must	O
adapt	O
to	O
these	O
changes	O
quickly	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
be	O
effective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
challenge	O
with	O
ALPR	B-Application
systems	O
is	O
that	O
some	O
states	O
have	O
the	O
same	O
license	O
plate	O
protocol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
So	O
each	O
time	O
the	O
ALPR	B-Application
systems	O
alarms	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
user	O
's	O
responsibility	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
that	O
the	O
plate	O
which	O
caused	O
the	O
alarm	O
matches	O
the	O
state	O
associated	O
with	O
the	O
license	O
plate	O
listed	O
on	O
the	O
in-car	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
maximum	O
effectiveness	O
,	O
an	O
ANPR	B-Application
system	O
should	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
recognize	O
plates	O
from	O
any	O
jurisdiction	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
jurisdiction	O
to	O
which	O
they	O
are	O
associated	O
,	O
but	O
these	O
many	O
variables	O
make	O
such	O
tasks	O
difficult	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Currently	O
at	O
least	O
one	O
US	O
ANPR	B-Application
provider	O
(	O
PlateSmart	O
)	O
claims	O
their	O
system	O
has	O
been	O
independently	O
reviewed	O
as	O
able	O
to	O
accurately	O
recognize	O
the	O
US	O
state	O
jurisdiction	O
of	O
license	O
plates	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
European	O
ANPR	B-Application
provider	O
claims	O
their	O
system	O
can	O
differentiate	O
all	O
EU	O
plate	O
jurisdictions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
ANPR	B-Application
software	O
vendors	O
publish	O
accuracy	O
results	O
based	O
on	O
image	O
benchmarks	O
.	O
</s>
