The advancement of technology has definitely changed the way people live their lives. Cellular telephones, laptop computers, wireless technology, and digital music players have all affected modern society in ways unimaginable just 15 years ago. The world of policing is no different: automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology has the potential to have a huge impact on the future of policing in Canada.

ALPR was developed in 1992 at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom in response to terrorism. In 1993, the Irish Republican Army bombed Bishopsgate, in the heart of London’s financial district. The massive explosion shattered windows and destroyed several buildings. One person was killed and more than 40 were injured in the blast. Immediately after the attack, the U.K. government erected what it called the “ring of steel” around the city. There were roadblocks in and out of the financial district; security remained high for some time. By 1996, ALPR technology was present at every western U.K. port to read every license plate entering the country from Ireland. The United Kingdom continues to lead the way when it comes to the use of ALPR technology. There are more than 3,000 cameras, stationary and mobile, across the country. In 1999, the government made a huge purchase, supplying every police force in England and Wales (43 total) with van-based systems. In 2002, British police recognized that the most effective way of exploiting ALPR technology was to use it with dedicated intercept teams.