IR-01-22-29527
13 October 2022
Mason
[FYI request #20651 email]
Dear Mason
Request for Information
Thank you for your request dated 23 September 2022 requesting information on Police’s
retention of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the Official Information Act1982
(OIA) and my responses are set out below.
•
Please provide all documentation related to future plans and/or current trials of
alternative (a) storage methods, (b) uses, or (c) databasing, of ANPR units, I refer
to those which currently store that data on the BOSS system for 48 hours before
deleting automatically.
There are no documents that contain future plans to increase the retention period of
ANPR information col ected by cameras mounted on Police vehicles beyond 48 hours.
The Police Manual on ANPR (Appendix A – Future State) references a chal enge that has
been identified with Police’s existing ANPR capability and proposes that a suitable
solution be found, but this has not been developed further. Consequently, there are no
documents related to current trials of any storage methods, uses, or ‘databasing’. As
these documents do not exist, this part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of
the OIA.
•
In relation to the [new] 12-month acceptable ANPR data retention period, up from
the previous 2-day period:
o
Please provide all discussions, reports, assessments, or other material
related to the increase.
There is no new retention period for ANPR information collected by cameras mounted on
Police vehicles. The retention period is 48 hours, in accordance with the ANPR chapter of
the Police Manual available here:
https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/automatic-number-plate-
recognition-210922.pdf
As there has been no increase, there are no discussions, reports, assessments, or other
material to provide. This part of your request is refused under section 18(e) of the OIA.
Police National Headquarters 180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Telephone: 04 474 9499. 04 498 7400. www.police.govt.nz
You have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision if you are not satisfied with
the response to your request. Information about how to make a complaint is available at:
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
Yours sincerely
Carla Gilmore
Manager Emergent Technology
