PC Paul
More info from 'Police Aviation news', May '05....
"ESlove: Eslove Police is about to fit an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera in a helicopter to catch speeders, road tax cheats and uninsured drivers from 2,000ft up in the air! The chopper uses a special long-range US-built camera so it doesn't have to hover low to capture the information. As well as cracking down on errant motorists, the system will make locating stolen cars easier. An Eslove Police spokesman said: 'This will be useful for checking out vehicles in inaccessible rural locations - where stolen cars are often stored.' autoexpress Ed: The detail on this storyline is that Eslove has successfully undertaken trials using its existing FSI Ultraforce 2 camera and has now ordered a spotterscope for installation in the same turret - this effectively upgrades the sensor to the designation Ultraforce 2+. Whilst the ANPR trials demonstrated that the standard system worked it was clear that the helicopter needed to get far closer to the target than would be necessary with a higher powered spotterscope fitted. Contrary to the impression given by the original article the equipment is not expected in service before June and its use will be somewhat more serious than the quoted 'speeders, road tax cheats and uninsured drivers.'"
