Police announce national crackdown on illegal number plates with funding of new National Roads Policing Coordination Centre
‘This is a signal to anyone using illegal number plates that their time is up’
The government has announced it is funding a new policing team to help clamp down on the use of illegal license plates.
The National Roads Policing Coordination Centre (NRPCC) is being funded by the Department of Transport and will bring together forces from around England to share intelligence, improve collaboration and make better use of data. This will include the trialling of new technology such as specialised goggles that can detect number plates where criminals have tried to make them unreadable by cameras.
With illegal number plates often used to avoid speeding, parking or clean air zone penalties, as well as by organised crime gangs moving illegal goods on the road network, it has been made a priority to clamp down on them.
Roads Minister Justin Madders said: “We’re cracking down on illegal number plates with new policing resource and innovative tech. Illegal number plates are used for crimes from evading parking charges to drug trafficking and we’re stepping in to protect drivers.
“This is a signal to anyone using illegal number plates that their time is up. We will catch you and our roads and streets will be safer for it.”
Illegal number plates can come in different forms including clone plates, where they are copied from another legitimate vehicle, ghost plates, where a transparent film is used to make them undetectable by cameras, and missing plates where they have been removed.
Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier, Deputy National Coordinator for the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre, said: “Through the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre, our mission is to tackle the biggest risks to road safety, enhancing and developing the police response to criminality both on and off the roads.
“The police forces involved in our ghost plates operation have shown how effective a targeted and intelligence-led approach is in tackling offenders as well as educating and supporting drivers in ensuring their numberplates are compliant. The testing and sharing of new approaches and developing innovation has been incredibly valuable and we look forward to building on this as we progress to our next operational focus.
“Thanks to the funding from DfT, we have a valuable opportunity to support road safety and roads policing across the UK with enhanced national coordination, consistency, collaboration and communication across policing, government and the wider road safety community.”
The new team is part of the government’s road safety strategy which is aiming to save thousands of lives.
Policing and Crime Minister Sarah Jones said: “Illegal number plates are not a victimless offence. They are used by criminals to avoid detection, move illegal goods and stay one step ahead of law enforcement.
“By bringing forces together and making better use of technology and intelligence, this new team will help police track down offenders faster and disrupt organised crime groups that rely on our road network.
“We are determined to give police every advantage in the fight against serious and organised crime, while making our roads safer for everyone.”