New cameras keep eye out for suspended drivers in Sudbury

Sudbury police are about to put a new set of eyes on the road.

The province has announced $37,000 in funding for a camera system that will soon be installed in a cruiser.

Police say the system, called Automated Licence Plate Recognition, features a camera that automatically takes pictures of up to 77,000 license plates an hour. It then feeds the plate information into an online database, which will flag for officers things like stolen cars or suspended drivers.

But what if someone drives another person's vehicle ... and the plates in question don't belong to the driver?

"Obviously, there are other investigative systems that have to be taken," said Deputy Police Chief Al Lekun.

"Simply, the hit means that that plate has come back to a prohibited or suspended driver."

Lekun said there are thousands of suspended drivers in Sudbury.

Currently, Ontario Provincial Police and police services in Toronto, London and Windsor are using Automated Licence Plate Recognition systems.

Tune in to CBC Sudbury's Morning North radio showThursday morningfor more on this story, including a discussion of what happens to licence plate information belonging tolaw-abiding citizens.