Automated Number-Plate Recognition (ANPR) and related procedures

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.026625

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. What information is shared with an officer(s) when an ANPR alert is triggered, either in a police vehicle or a roadside camera?
2. What information is usually held in relation to vehicles of interest?
3. What information is often or usually shared in relation to a vehicle when an ANPR alert is triggered by a camera? Please provide all types of information.
4. Do you have an established policy or procedure that officers must follow when an ANPR camera triggers an alert linking a vehicle to a firearms offence or alleged firearms offence? If yes, please provide:
a. Details of the established policy or procedure, or relevant policy documents.
5. What databases are linked to the National ANPR Database?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

What information is shared with an officer(s) when an ANPR alert is triggered, either in a police vehicle or a roadside camera?
What information is usually held in relation to vehicles of interest?

Information is shared that is relevant to the operational effectiveness and safety of the officers carrying out the stop. Data includes references to linked PNC and intelligence reports, together with the reason for the listing.

What information is usually held in relation to vehicles of interest? What information is often or usually shared in relation to a vehicle when an ANPR alert is triggered by a camera? Please provide all types of information.

For vehicles of interest, there is a VOI list which is provided to authorised staff to view. You can see the entries for this list at number 5, here:

National ANPR Service - Technical specifications (publishing.service.gov.uk)

The authorised staff member would provide information to the officer based on what they read from the VOI list.

Do you have an established policy or procedure that officers must follow when an ANPR camera triggers an alert linking a vehicle to a firearms offence or alleged firearms offence? If yes, please provide:
a. Details of the established policy or procedure, or relevant policy documents.

The MPS does not have an established policy or procedure and therefore this information is not held.

If there is an activation of an ANPR camera, indicating that the vehicle has a firearms marker, the activation is brought to the attention of the duty Tactical Firearms Commander who will then carry out an assessment. Every activation is unique and there is no set policy or procedure held by the MPS which details the procedure that will follow; the TFC will use the National Decision Model when deciding how to deal with the activation.

The NDM is referred to in the NPCC APP, which can be found here:

College of Policing - Armed Policing - Command

What databases are linked to the National ANPR Database?

The National ANPR standards for policing and law enforcement explains this, at points 8.10 and 8.11, which can be found here:

National ANPR standards for policing and law enforcement (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)