New police team to crack down on illegal number plates across England
The UK government has launched the National Roads Policing Coordination Centre to combat the use of illegal and cloned vehicle number plates. The initiative uses new technology and cross-force data sharing to disrupt organized crime groups that use these plates to evade law enforcement.
Why it matters
Illegal number plates facilitate criminal activity and tax evasion, posing a significant challenge to public safety and traffic law enforcement.
Image source, DfT/West Yorkshire Police By Doug Faulkner Published 3 hours ago A centralised crackdown on illegal number plates will target organised crime groups and drivers who dodge fines by bringing together data and information from police forces across England, the government has said.
The newly-created National Roads Policing Coordination Centre (NRPCC) will see improved collaboration across forces as well as new technology, such as specialist goggles that can detect number plates that have been made unreadable to cameras.
Illegal number plates are often used by organised crime groups to move stolen goods and to evade speeding, parking and clean air zone penalties, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.
Drivers with incorrectly displayed or missing number plates can be fined up to £1,000.
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