Police still months away from using license plate scanner

Greater Sudbury Police are one step closer to being able to use a device that will automatically scan nearby license plates wherever the police cruiser travels.

First proposed in 2011, the force bought the $37,000 scanner in 2014. It can scan as many as 7,000 plates an hour, and cross reference the information with the Ministry of Transportation, suspended drivers lists and other police information.

But to access information with the MTO, Sudbury police have to create and sign a protocol with the Ontario Provincial Police. That's a result from direction from Ontario's privacy commissioner, who told the OPP to develop policies and procedures on how to handle and manage all the private data.

While an agreement with the OPP is now in place, the next step in the process is signing one with the MTO, allowing local police to connect into the shared information between the two organizations. That agreement has been completed and should come into effect in the coming months.

The scanner will look for suspended drivers, stolen vehicles and those who are wanted by police. The cost for the scanner is being covered by a fund set up under the Civil Remedies Act, which allows police forces to seize property and money from criminal activities.

With more than 8,000 suspended motorists in Greater Sudbury alone, the scanner will make the challenge of enforcing driving bans easier.