The Trafford Centre goes live with Automatic Number Plate Recognition from Civica
Shopping and Leisure Complex invests £230,000 in ANPR solution to detect suspect vehicles entering the site
5th August 2003. The Trafford Centre in Manchester has gone live with an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) solution from Civica, one of the UK's most experienced providers of specialist software and services. The vehicles of visitors entering the shopping and leisure complex are now scanned in a bid to locate people and vehicles of interest to GMP entering the giant site.
The £230,000 system joint funded* by bosses at the £900 million centre and GMP is already being hailed a success with dozens of arrests already made for a variety of crimes.
Widely used across the UK, Civica's ANPR has the capacity to check thousands of vehicles and during its first trial weekend over 77,000 vehicles were scanned. Of this total, the system identified almost 600 vehicles wanted in connection with minor traffic offences and theft, 10 of which were wanted for more serious crimes including shoplifting, fraud and car theft.
The complex system has involved the installation of 13 covert cameras in strategic locations across the site that are the size of a hand held camcorder, fitted with a specialist infra-red capability to allow scanning in the hours of darkness.
The system utilises the latest software technology to identify stolen vehicles or those listed as wanted for a variety of crimes.
The registration of the vehicle is verified and checked against a series of local intelligence databases, confidential police records and the Police National Computer (PNC) controlled from Stretford Operational Policing Unit. If the vehicle is listed as stolen, or as being associated with any type of crime, the Centre's control room is alerted.
Police officers in GMP's control room then operate a scale of response ensuring that those vehicles relating to more serious crimes are given the highest response priority. The location of the vehicle is displayed simultaneously in both The Trafford Centre and the police control room, and the Centre's security team, working in partnership with GMP will monitor the vehicle and its occupant until officers are deployed to the site.
Managing Director of The Trafford Centre Mike Butterworth said: "The ANPR software we have installed is the most advanced in the world and we're very proud of the fact we're the first shopping centre in the UK to effectively use the system in a joint partnership with our regional police force. "The majority of the Centre's customers are law abiding citizens but this system will help target a small minority of individuals who are wanted in connection with a number of crimes. Ultimately, this makes the Centre even safer for our customers, retailers and employees as it will not only act as a deterrent for the criminal fraternity thinking of entering the site but will help earmark them quickly and effectively should they enter the site."
Chief Superintendent Hutchings, Divisional Commander for GMP's Trafford Division said: "The ANPR scheme is an excellent example of how successful joint partnerships between the public and private sector can effectively fight crime in an intelligence led way. Pilots which have taken place elsewhere in the country have shown that utilising ANPR technology can effectively increase the efficiency of police officers. It also reduces the risk of unnecessary stops to innocent members of the public. "The Trafford Centre was a logical location to launch the scheme due to the fact it is a major regional and national attraction with high levels of vehicle movements - as many as 80 million since it opened nearly five years ago. We hope that this system will form part of wider initiative to be rolled out across Trafford which will ultimately take the use of roads away from the criminal."
Simon Parkes, managing director, Civica adds: "The Trafford Centre application of ANPR is a classic example of how this technology can address crime without putting additional pressure on security resources. Effectively the criminals are identifying themselves when they enter the site, making it easier for them to be located and the necessary action taken. Building on our long experience with the Police, we see a huge potential for ANPR in the retail sector with more shopping and leisure complexes taking steps to stamp out crime on their sites."
ENDS
BACKGROUND NOTES TO EDITORS
Trafford Centre Case Studies :
CASE STUDY 1
A vehicle entered the site triggering the ANPR system. The Police National Computer (PNC) highlighted the vehicle as stolen. Officers were immediately dispatched to The Trafford Centre while Centre security officers monitored the vehicle and its passengers. It transpired the vehicle had been returned to its rightful owner who had not informed GMP, however after a search of the vehicle and routine questioning of the driver and accomplice £250 worth of stolen goods were recovered. The pair were arrested.
CASE STUDY 2
A £50,000 BMW entered the site and the ANPR alarm was raised. The PNC highlighted a series of details considered as a high priority by Stretford police division. The vehicle was highlighted as stolen and the driver was wanted in connection with deception and credit card fraud. The Trafford Centre security team earmarked the vehicle and driver using CCTV. GMP plain clothes officers arrived on scene and were able to locate the target offender quickly. The male driver was found to be carrying several credit cards, cheque-books, driving licences with different names and £1,200 in cash. The driver was arrested and detained by GMP.
Funding
The ANPR project cost £220,000 and was joint funded between The Trafford Centre and GMP with a contribution of £78,000 from the Police Standards Unit BCU Innovation Fund.
About Civica Plc. Civica (www.civica.co.uk) is one of the UK's most experienced specialist providers of software and services to the public sector. Supplying many organisations in the UK, Australia and the USA, including over 700 local authorities, the company has an 18-year history of delivering effective software solutions to local government, police, healthcare, criminal justice and education organisations, and major commercial firms. Civica Services Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary, is an approved Prime Contractor for software in the UK Government's GCat procurement catalogue. The company employs approximately 500 people globally and has a record of profitable growth.