RISE OF ROAD SPY CAMERAS
New police network will track the movements of millions of motorists Worried campaigners warn technology invades privacy of Scots drivers
A NEW generation of super cameras is being introduced in Scotland to track every move of millions of motorists.
The network, which is currently being installed, will provide police with unprecedented surveillance of drivers.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology has been used on Scotland’s motorways for some years, allowing officers to monitor vehicles.
But Police Scotland is now implementing a significant expansion of the system, installing a greater number of cameras at a greater number of locations on roads, not just on motorways, around the country.
It also plans to open a ‘dedicated bureau’ with specialist officers to exploit the huge advances in technology to fight crime.
Unlike the current cameras, which merely sound an alert if a vehicle of interest passes, the new generation will record every vehicle that passes – then store the
information for up to six months.
But the new super-cameras have raised privacy concerns.
Hannah Couchman, advocacy and policy officer at campaign group Liberty, said: ‘This new generation of ANPR cameras is an alarming addition to the already extensive systems of surveillance used by police to track our everyday activity.
‘The continued expansion of police monitoring, particularly when it can be combined with other data collection and surveillance tools, undermines our fundamental right to privacy.’
But police insist the technology will be a ‘game-changer’ in the war on crime.
Police Scotland report Serving A Changing Scotland, which 2017-20, says the technology will ‘enhance capabilities, coverage and intelligence’. It will ‘improve analysis and detection’ and be ‘established ’ by the end of 2018-19.
Detective Superintendent Ross Bennett said: ‘The upgraded ANPR system will assist many aspects of policing across Scotland.’
But he would not give details, adding: ‘Due to the nature of ANPR and its use in operational policing, it would be inappropriate to comment on the system’s specific capabilities.’
However, a senior officer with close knowledge of the new technology said: ‘We used to have coverage on motorways only, then a few cameras went up on trunk roads and now more and more are being put up around our road network.
‘They are an invaluable source of gathering intelligence and will be one of our best allies in tackling organised crime and terrorism – and will help us to detect many more crimes.
‘Not only do the new devices pick up numbers and store them automatically, the images they deliver are far superior to the old technology.’
The older cameras, which are being phased out, often had a time-lag in relaying information, sometimes leading to significant delays – so officers experienced difficulties intercepting suspect vehicles.
The new generation will deliver information as it happens, making interventions
‘Invaluable source of intelligence’
much less complicated. The source said: ‘Policing is increasingly about intelligence and technology and trying to stay ahead of the game.
‘These new cameras are an absolute game-changer for us and will present a real challenge to organised crime groups who travel up and down the country to places like Manchester and Liverpool carrying drugs or large sums of money.
‘We will be able to cover more of the alternative routes off the motorways.
‘Storage of information is also going to be more efficient. Our ability to recover the images will be increased by the digital technology and the quality of the images is much sharper.
‘The technology also helps officers work out the likeliest travel patterns when a vehicle of interest is on the road, enabling us to have officers stationed at all points where they are most likely to be useful.
‘When we have a vehicle of interest and enter the number plate, that creates an alert throughout the whole country.
‘We will get a message when that vehicle is on the road and within minutes we will know where it is. The technology gives us access to that vehicle’s past movements and helps us to predict where it might be going within minutes.
‘Those extra minutes will make the difference in giving us more successful outcomes than ever before.’
He added: ‘Organised crime groups who carry large quantities of drugs for sale in Scotland know they have to be clever about how and when to travel and what routes to take.
‘They will have their own ways to try to avoid detection, but our aim is always to stay ahead of them.’
‘An absolute game-changer’