SGI funds new license plate recognition system for the RCMP

As a part of SGI’s ongoing traffic safety partnership with the Saskatchewan RCMP, the provincial insurer is outfitting two vehicles with Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems.

SGI is providing $50,000 in funding for the project. .

“Traffic safety is an important part of SGI’s commitment to making communities safer. ALPR license plate recognition is fast and hands-free, and it enables officers to focus more of their time on patrolling our streets,” said the Minister Responsible for SGI, Tim McMillan, in a statement.

The ALPR equipment checks for unregistered or expired plates, stolen vehicles, and to see if the vehicle owner was suspended or is wanted for another matter. It automatically scans license plates as the officer drives, enabling them to check a large number of vehicles without having to type the numbers in themselves, increasing their efficiency.

“We estimate that the ALPR allows our officers to complete the same amount of vehicle checks in one hour as they would normally require 900 hours for. It’s a real time saver for us,” said Inspector Andy Landers, O.I.C. “F” Division Traffic Services.

Saskatchewan is the second province in the country to have RCMP vehicles equipped with ALPR. As well, SGI has given money to all major municipal police services in the province for ALPR equipment.