Automatic Number Plate Recognition Capability of CCTV systems

[Name Removed] made this Freedom of Information request to Carmarthenshire County Council This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.

The request was successful.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have been reading about the strategy for the police to automatically collect the details of car journeys using existing CCTV systems. The strategy relies on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to pinpoint the precise time and location of all vehicles on the road. I would like to understand whether cameras operated by Carmarthenshire Council are part of this strategy of routinely passing number plate information to the police.

So, specifically, I would like to know:

1. Approximately how many cameras are operated by Carmarthenshire Council?

2. Of these, approximately how many have ANPR capability?

3. Where vehicle data is captured by these cameras, is it the policy of Carmarthenshire County Council to routinely send this information to the National ANPR Data Centre in Hendon; that is, is the data sent without any specific request from police?

If you would like to clarify any of these questions, you are welcome to email me or call me on [mobile number redacted].

Yours faithfully,

[Name Removed]

FOIA, Carmarthenshire County Council

Dear Mr.[name removed],

Thank you for your request for information regarding speed cameras,
which was received on 15th February, 2009 and is being dealt with under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We are therefore required to
provide you with a response within 20 working days, which will be on or
before 13th March, 2009.

If we require any clarification or further details, we will contact you
as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to
contact me, remembering to quote the reference number above in any
communications.

Yours sincerely

John Tillman
Swyddog Gwybodaeth a Diogelu Data
Adran y Prif Weithredwr
Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin

Information & Data Protection Officer
Chief Executive's Department
Carmarthenshire County Council

Tel: (01267) 246108
Mewnol/Internal: 6108
Ffacs/Fax: (01267) 246134

show quoted sections

FOIA, Carmarthenshire County Council

Dear Mr[name removed],

I refer to your request for information regarding CCTV cameras, which
was received on 15th February, 2009 and has been dealt with under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I will respond to your request in the order you presented it using your
numbered points as headings for ease of reference.

1. Approximately how many (CCTV) cameras are operated by Carmarthenshire
County Council?

87 CCTV cameras are installed in public areas.

2. Of these, approximately how many have ANPR capability?

None of these are currently used for ANPR purposes.

However, one further system is in place at the Civic Amenity site in
Trostre which records the number plates of vehicles using the site.
This is in order to prevent unauthorised use of the site by commercial
users and traders. Any information gathered would be passed on to the
Council's enforcement team.

3. Where vehicle data is captured by these cameras, is it the policy of
Carmarthenshire County Council to routinely send this information to the
National ANPR Data Centre in Hendon; that is,is the data sent without
any specific request from police?

No ANPR data is routinely forwarded to the police.

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
me.

Yours sincerely

John Tillman
Swyddog Gwybodaeth a Diogelu Data
Adran y Prif Weithredwr
Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin

Information & Data Protection Officer
Chief Executive's Department
Carmarthenshire County Council

Tel: (01267) 246108
Mewnol/Internal: 6108
Ffacs/Fax: (01267) 246134

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