Video  |  2018-11-06

Victoria Police Gain Road Safety Video Technology Edge with Motorola Solutions

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

Victoria Police have gained an important advantage in protecting the state’s roads with new number plate recognition and in car video technology from Motorola Solutions.

The high-resolution, cloud-based Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology enables police to rapidly scan through thousands of vehicle number plates to identify dangerous and unauthorised drivers in real-time. This helps police to detect stolen and unregistered vehicles and crack down on offences including traffic violations, speeding and more.

The five year, state-wide managed service contract is valued at around AUD$17.3M and will fit out 220 Highway Patrol vehicles with the latest in-car video technology.

The solution will also increase protection and accountability for interactions between police and the public through the collection of high quality video and audio recordings that can be submitted as evidence in court.

The technology is vital to achieving the goals outlined in Towards Zero, the Victorian Government’s plan to make roads safer while striving for the ultimate goal of zero deaths on Victorian roads.

The mobile number plate program will complement other systems being used by Victoria Police, including its BlueConnect Mobile Technology program.

Managed services support with ongoing opportunities for innovation

The solution draws on Motorola Solutions’ proven experience in delivering state-of-the-art technology and managed services to Victorian emergency services.

Motorola Solutions Vice President and Managing Director, Steve Crutchfield, said fresh and reliable number plate data provides public safety agencies with valuable insights into road user behaviour.

“By combining ANPR detection with in-car video, this solution will provide high quality visual and audio corroboration of incidents and offences witnessed by police. Solutions like this have been proven to increase accountability and even make individuals modify their behaviour when they know they are being filmed, contributing to greater safety for all road users and police officers.”

The agreement with Motorola Solutions gives Victoria Police the flexibility to add enhancements to the program over time as vehicle and video standards and technologies mature.

In addition to the high-resolution number plate technology, Motorola Solutions manages the networks that provide Victoria Police with mission-critical radio communications and narrowband data services.

Motorola Solutions also provides Victoria Police with a mobility managed service to increase situational awareness, safety and productivity for police officers on the front line with a purpose-built mobility application to help officers manage their daily workflows.