060/2013 – North Yorkshire Police (NYP) Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) British Telecom (BT) Red Care RS1000 contract and Fixed Sites Phase 1 camera replacement – 13 August 2013

Executive Summary and recommendation:

This decision notice requests approval to progress the replacement and upgrade of the BT Red Care RS1000 contract and ANPR Fixed Sites Phase 1 cameras. This paper highlights the current situation and the options available as well as the risks if no action is taken.

The benefits if NYP were to proceed with this notice would not only affect NYP but all forces in the country, who would be able to identify and track the movement of suspect vehicles on the strategic arterial roads of North Yorkshire for intelligence gathering, evidence gathering and improved intercept capabilities.

The Executive Board are asked to approve this notice which will provide;

• BT Redcare RS1000D fibre optic communication solution £22.5k and £7.2k (rental until 31/03/2014) recurring revenue of £35k per annum rental (year 2 onwards)
• Replacement of sixteen ANPR Fixed Sites Phase 1 cameras covering sixteen lanes with eleven ANPR Fixed Site Phase 1 cameras covering twenty lanes £127k
• ISD hardware £24k

If approved this would support the ANPR development plan and maximise the benefits highlighted within the Police and Crime Plan 2013-2017 for ANPR.

Police and Crime Commissioner decision:

Option two approved.

Signature Date 13 August 2013
Title Police & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire

Part 1 – Unrestricted facts and advice to the PCC

Introduction and Background

This decision notice requests £180,000 investment in North Yorkshire Police’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition system.

The new, state of the art, high-definition cameras and supporting network required are capable of reading the number plates of two lanes of traffic including the hard shoulder and slip roads and will be placed at strategic hot-spots on the county’s arterial road network.

ANPR is an invaluable tool for the police to disrupt travelling criminals who use the road network to commit crime. This latest investment will enhance our existing capability, resulting in more criminals being caught and prosecuted, meaning less victims as a result.

North Yorkshire is the largest county in England and covers almost the entire width of the country, from the east coast to Lancashire near the west coast and it is vital we effectively utilise ANPR, not only for the benefit of the residents of North Yorkshire but also to assist all forces in the country to effectively track the movement of criminals.

ANPR cameras work by scanning vehicle registration numbers and checking them against information stored in databases to identify vehicles connected to criminality.

It can be used locally and nationally, across force, regional borders and nationally allowing effective, collaborative responses to ongoing incidents and investigations.

ANPR has already proven its worth as an invaluable tool in bringing criminals to justice and making our communities safer. This latest investment sends a clear warning to criminals that North Yorkshire Police is determined to keep them out of our county. We don’t want them here and we will do everything in our power to stop them.

In these times of austerity measures it is vital that we make the best use of our available resources. The roads are vital to the criminal fraternity and by working harder and smarter; we will deny them the use of our road network making life extremely difficult for them.

It needs to be stressed that law-abiding motorists have nothing to fear. The system is intelligence based and identifies vehicles linked to criminality, allowing police to focus on those engaged in unlawful activity.

These ANPR proposals are a key part of PCC’s Police and Crime Plan, and means the Service is investing in the future to reduce harm to individuals and communities suffering from cross border crime and rural crime.

Matters for consideration

Since the introduction of ANPR in 2002 Forces across the UK have been utilising ANPR technology to help assist their staff in combating crime and targeting known criminals who have entered their regions to commit crimes. As a result the data is now viewed as an extensive source of intelligence and a valuable reactive and proactive investigative tool.

NYP has had ANPR cameras covering its strategic arterial roads since 2006, these are the ANPR Fixed Sites Phase 1 cameras. NYP obtained these by securing funding from the Spending Review (SR) 2004, Home Office initiative and from additional force funding. This phase consists of sixteen cameras. The cameras on these sites are eight years old, and were originally designed to last for five years. These cameras are now beyond the manufacturers recommended working life and require replacement. The performance and function of these cameras compared to current ANPR cameras does not support operational requirements.

In 2011 NYP further extended the ANPR infrastructure, with a second phase of fixed site cameras, purchasing a further eight cameras. These cameras were obtained via regional bid for Home Office funding.

In order to bring all the data from the ANPR Fixed Sites Phase 1 cameras back to NYP, a communication solution is required. The current solution is provided by BT and is due to expire on 31st March 2014 and cannot be extended and must be renegotiated. Under the Public Services Network agreement the only suppliers who can deliver this solution are BT and Virgin.

Detailed understanding of product specification and benefits is given in Part 2 due to the confidential nature of this equipment.

Options considered

NYP has two main options to consider:

Option 1: To renew the communication contract and replace the current cameras with Infra Red (IR) analogue cameras of the same specification as those currently in place on the ANPR Fixed Sites Phase 1.

Option 2: To renew and upgrade the communication contract and replace the current cameras with High Definition (HD) Internet Protocol (IP) ANPR cameras on the ANPR Fixed Sites Phase 1.

Recommendation: Option 2 is the preferred option.

Contribution to Police and Crime Plan outcomes

The approval of this notice will enhance the ability of ANPR to deliver the crime and policing plan objectives of;

• Embed ANPR into key force business processes to yield the optimum return from investment
• Improved intelligence gathering and post incident interrogation
• Improved intercept capability
• Increase in arrest rate , sanction detections, levels of vehicle and asset seizures and successful prosecution of offenders
• To increase public confidence and reassurance
• To reduce crime and terrorism
• Reduce road traffic casualties and make more efficient use of police resources
• Future proof our ANPR infrastructure

Consultations carried out

The status and effectiveness of the NYP ANPR infrastructure has been considered against recent ANPR Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report (Sept 2012), Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabularies (HMIC) self assessment (Jan 2012) Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) National

Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) standards and ACPO Police use of ANPR (The 14 principles January 2013) .
Consultations have been carried out with Directorates across NYP to identify the benefits, detections and also the investigative and intelligence capabilities of ANPR. Information on the public view of ANPR has been gained from the Police and Crime Plan public consultation March 2013.

Meetings have taken place with regional ANPR leads and other forces within the North East region as to the opportunities and potential benefits for the region.

Financial Implications/Value for money

Detailed costs are presented in Part 2.

Legal Implications

Having read this report and having considered such information as has been provided at the time of being asked to express this view, the Deputy Force Solicitor is satisfied that this report does not ask the PCC for North Yorkshire to make a decision which would (or would be likely to) give rise to a contravention of the law.

Equality Implications

Equality impact has been considered and there are no emerging issues.

Public Access to information

The Police and Crime Commissioner wishes to be as open and transparent as possible about the decisions he/she takes or are taken in his/her name. All decisions taken by the Commissioner will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

As a general principle, the Commissioner expects to be able to publish all decisions taken and all matters taken into account and all advice received when reaching the decision. Part 1 of this Notice will detail all information which the Commissioner will disclose into the public domain. The decision and information in Part 1 will be made available on the NYPCC web site within 2 working days of approval.

Only where material is properly classified as restricted under the GPMS or if that material falls within the description at 2(2) of The Elected Local Policing Bodies (Specified Information) Order 2011 will the Commissioner not disclose decisions and/or information provided to enable that decision to be made. In these instances, Part 2 of the Form will be used to detail those matters considered to be restricted. Information in Part 2 will not be published.

Is there a Part 2 to this Notice – YES
If Yes, what is the reason for restriction – Information provided on how the equipment functions and their locations is sensitive.

Originating Officer Declaration
Author name: Sergeant Ian Butler Collar number: 975

Director/Chief Officer Joanna Carter has reviewed the request and is satisfied that it is correct and consistent with the NYPCC’s plans and priorities.	Chief Supt 1590 Higgins 30/07/13
Legal Advice Legal advice has been sought on this proposal and is considered not to expose the PCC to risk of legal challenge.	Jane Wintermeyer 3840 08/08/13
Financial Advice The CC CFO has both been consulted on this proposal, for which budgetary provision already exists or is to be made in accordance with Part 1 or Part 2 of this Notice	G. Macdonald 5299 8/8/13
Equalities Advice An assessment has been made of the equality impact of this proposal. Either there is considered to be minimal impact or the impact is outlined in Part1 or Part2 of this Notice.	Sergeant 975 Ian Butler 30/07/13
I confirm that all the above advice has been sought and received and I am satisfied that this is an appropriate request to be submitted for a decision Chief Supt Ali Higgins Date 30th July 2013