Automated licence plate recognition identifies stolen plates, catches suspended driver: OPP

Licence scanners alert major and minor infractions Automatic licence plate reader technology is a device that can scan every licence plate on the road and alerts police to violations.

Two local residents are facing multiple charges following a traffic stop in Smooth Rock Falls, Ont. last week.

On Feb. 29, a James Bay Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer was on patrol in the community.

“(Police) stopped a vehicle as the licence plate was indicated by the ALPR (Automatic Licence Plate Recognition) system as stolen,” the OPP said in a social media post.

“The officer confirmed the plate as stolen, the vehicle as uninsured and the driver as suspended under the criminal code and HTA (Highway Traffic Act.)”

Both the driver and a passenger were arrested as a result of the traffic stop.

As a result of the investigation, the 31-year-old driver and 35-year-old passenger both from Smooth Rock were charged with possession of stolen property and breaching probation. The driver is also charged with breaching an undertaking and three counts of driving under suspension. The passenger is also facing an additional charge for permitting a vehicle’s operation without insurance.

The driver was held pending the result of a bail hearing and the vehicle involved was impounded for 45 days by police.

None of the allegations has been proven in court.