Tell us your views on ANPR

Gloucestershire Constabulary is launching an online survey about the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology across the county.

The survey aims to give local communities, as well as those who travel through the region, a chance to voice their views and understanding of how ANPR is used to tackle crime.

The aim of the survey, which runs from today, is to develop a broader view of public perceptions and understanding of police use of ANPR, allowing us to inform and engage with our communities around its future use.

ANPR is a technology whereby images of passing vehicle number plates are captured by a camera that reads the plate using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software, before sending the data back to a central database. This is used by police forces across the country to help detect, deter and disrupt criminality at a local, force, regional and national level, including tackling travelling criminals, organised crime groups and terrorists.

Chief Inspector Al Barby said: “This survey will help us develop a broader view of public understanding around ANPR and help shape its future use across the force. It would be very useful for as many residents as possible to complete it.”

(This survey has now closed).