Today I saw a police road side presence that I haven't seen before.

Firstly there was a van parked up with two small windows open at the back and what seemed to be two cameras pointing out of the them. Further down the road there was a marked car "hidden" on a side road and then a few officers on foot seemingly waiting to pull motorists over.

It can't of been of been for speeding as it was on the North/South Circular in West Ealing (London) and for those who know cars never travel at more than 10mph along there!

I am guessing that the cameras somehow helped at identifying expired tax discs, stolen cars....?????

Has anyone seen similar tactic employed anywhere else?

Peter

 

Yep,

Seen exactly the same thing up here in Stoke when the local plod borrowed one for a while.

IIRC...

Using the camera they grab your number plate and check it for tax etc. Then they can pull you over for a chat if it shows as stolen. Only flaw is that somebody in a hot motor is hardly going to stop for a friendly word....

I may be wrong though.

 

This my friends is called an ANPR : Automatic Number Plate Reader.

Its purpose is to detect stolen cars and any cars that have some sort of ` police interest`. It is nothing to do with speed and the cars further down the road are there to get you should the alarm bells start to ring.
K