88brenno
Greenlighter
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/9919276
WA police are using numberplate recognition technology to spot motorists with drug convictions and then subject them to roadside saliva testing and vehicle searches.
Sgt Steve Palmer said the technology scanned a vehicle's numberplate and then listed the convictions against the owner of that vehicle, any outstanding warrants, whether they had a valid drivers licence and whether the vehicle was licensed.
Sgt Palmer, from the traffic enforcement group, said police were testing the technology in vehicles and could soon roll it out in traffic cars across the State.
Police yesterday set up the technology at the Mitchell Freeway off-ramp at Powis Street and scanned almost 4000 cars in about three hours.
Police charged 18 drivers who were driving either an unlicensed vehicle or without a valid drivers licence.
Four motorists were charged with drug possession after the technology flagged them as having drug convictions.
Sgt Palmer said the motorists' convictions provided police with the "reasonable suspicion" necessary to conduct a search.
The four drivers had also been given saliva tests to determine whether they were driving under the influence of drugs but all returned negative samples.
He said the technology was enhancing the ability of police to conduct "intelligence-led" operations.
"Before this we had to pull drivers over one by one in a more random manner and it could then turn out that we had wasted our time," Sgt Palmer said.
"With this technology we can screen the traffic as it goes past and then target those drivers who we know deserve our attention."
Police Minister Rob Johnson said he supported the police use of technology being used to target suspected drug-affected drivers.
But shadow police minister Margaret Quirk said she was not convinced police had the legal right to search private vehicles solely on the basis that the driver had a drug conviction.
Ms Quirk said the new system was likely to be challenged.
"I think that this should be legally tested," she said.
"This needs a legal opinion or advice from the State Solicitor's office."
WA police are using numberplate recognition technology to spot motorists with drug convictions and then subject them to roadside saliva testing and vehicle searches.
Sgt Steve Palmer said the technology scanned a vehicle's numberplate and then listed the convictions against the owner of that vehicle, any outstanding warrants, whether they had a valid drivers licence and whether the vehicle was licensed.
Sgt Palmer, from the traffic enforcement group, said police were testing the technology in vehicles and could soon roll it out in traffic cars across the State.
Police yesterday set up the technology at the Mitchell Freeway off-ramp at Powis Street and scanned almost 4000 cars in about three hours.
Police charged 18 drivers who were driving either an unlicensed vehicle or without a valid drivers licence.
Four motorists were charged with drug possession after the technology flagged them as having drug convictions.
Sgt Palmer said the motorists' convictions provided police with the "reasonable suspicion" necessary to conduct a search.
The four drivers had also been given saliva tests to determine whether they were driving under the influence of drugs but all returned negative samples.
He said the technology was enhancing the ability of police to conduct "intelligence-led" operations.
"Before this we had to pull drivers over one by one in a more random manner and it could then turn out that we had wasted our time," Sgt Palmer said.
"With this technology we can screen the traffic as it goes past and then target those drivers who we know deserve our attention."
Police Minister Rob Johnson said he supported the police use of technology being used to target suspected drug-affected drivers.
But shadow police minister Margaret Quirk said she was not convinced police had the legal right to search private vehicles solely on the basis that the driver had a drug conviction.
Ms Quirk said the new system was likely to be challenged.
"I think that this should be legally tested," she said.
"This needs a legal opinion or advice from the State Solicitor's office."
