New roads policing team launched in bid to tackle illegal number plates
Government-backed operation will bring police forces together to target offenders, organised crime and vehicles designed to evade number plate cameras
A new government-funded roads policing team is being launched as part of a nationwide effort to crack down on illegal number plates and the criminals who use them.
The National Roads Policing Coordination Centre (NRPCC) will work with police forces across England to improve the sharing of intelligence, technology and data, with the aim of making it easier to identify offenders and tackle crime on the road network.
The initiative is being supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) and forms part of the Government’s wider Road Safety Strategy, the first of its kind in more than a decade.
New technology to help identify offenders
Police will also be able to test new technology designed to detect number plates that have been deliberately altered to prevent them being picked up by cameras.
Among the technology being trialled are specialised goggles capable of identifying plates that criminals have attempted to make unreadable to automatic number plate recognition systems.
Illegal plates can be used to avoid speeding penalties, parking charges and clean air zone fines. However, police say they can also play a role in more serious criminal activity, including the transportation of illegal goods.
Vehicles fitted with plates designed to evade cameras can be more difficult to trace if they are stolen or connected to organised crime.
Roads Minister Justin Madders said:
“We’re cracking down on illegal number plates with new policing resource and innovative tech.
“Illegal number plates are used for crimes from evading parking charges to drug trafficking and we’re stepping in to protect drivers.
“This is a signal to anyone using illegal number plates that their time is up. We will catch you and our roads and streets will be safer for it.”
Different types of illegal plates
Police are targeting a range of offences involving vehicle registrations. These include cloned plates, where a legitimate registration is copied and placed on another vehicle, as well as so-called ‘ghost plates’, which can use transparent material to prevent cameras from reading the registration.
Vehicles being driven without number plates are also among those being targeted.
Drivers who display their number plate incorrectly can face a fine of up to £1,000.
Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, Deputy National Coordinator for the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre, said:
“Through the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre, our mission is to tackle the biggest risks to road safety, enhancing and developing the police response to criminality both on and off the roads.
“The police forces involved in our ghost plates operation have shown how effective a targeted and intelligence-led approach is in tackling offenders as well as educating and supporting drivers in ensuring their numberplates are compliant. The testing and sharing of new approaches and developing innovation has been incredibly valuable and we look forward to building on this as we progress to our next operational focus.
“Thanks to the funding from DfT, we have a valuable opportunity to support road safety and roads policing across the UK with enhanced national coordination, consistency, collaboration and communication across policing, government and the wider road safety community.”
Wider road safety crackdown
The new operation comes as the Government develops its Road Safety Strategy, which it says is intended to save thousands of lives.
Plans have already been consulted on to strengthen penalties for illegal number plates, review existing plate standards and improve enforcement.
Policing and Crime Minister Sarah Jones said:
“Illegal number plates are not a victimless offence. They are used by criminals to avoid detection, move illegal goods and stay one step ahead of law enforcement.
“By bringing forces together and making better use of technology and intelligence, this new team will help police track down offenders faster and disrupt organised crime groups that rely on our road network.
“We are determined to give police every advantage in the fight against serious and organised crime, while making our roads safer for everyone.”
The work will also build on existing cooperation between the police, the DVSA and DVLA.
The agencies are working together to improve the detection of illegal registrations, support roadside enforcement and investigate businesses suspected of illegally supplying number plates.