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TPS fleet now fully equipped with Automatic Licence Plate Recognition

May 7, 2024, Toronto, Ont. – The Toronto Police Service’s fleet of 560 police vehicles are now fully equipped with Automatic Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR).

This technology notifies officers as they travel the streets of Toronto when a vehicle on a ‘hotlist’ passes in front of the forward-facing camera, whether it be in relation to a Highway Traffic Act offence, criminal investigation, public safety alert, or Amber Alert.

The automatic plate reader is directly integrated into the new in-car camera system and can read the plates of vehicles traveling up to 225 km/h.

The ALPR system, approved by the Toronto Police Service Board in July 2023, has been used by police services across the province.

TPS members have successfully used ALPR to locate missing persons and locate vehicles stolen from carjackings and home invasions.

Recently, officers from 31 Division were alerted to a stolen Lamborghini by the ALPR system. Two adults and a youth were arrested and charged with 54 criminal offences. Read full story here.

The ALPR program includes all recorded stolen vehicles nationwide. The data is provided from a ‘hotlist’ of vehicles from the Ministry of Transportation, which is updated daily.

“ALPR technology represents a significant leap forward in law enforcement capabilities, seamlessly integrating into our patrol routines to detect and recover stolen vehicles and locate missing persons with unprecedented efficiency,” said Colin Stairs, Chief Information Officer for the Toronto Police Service.

ALPR supports road safety, enhances frontline efficiency, and provides TPS investigators with an opportunity to leverage hotlists for ongoing investigations.