Number Plate scanning technology
Jakob Parker made this Official Information request to New Zealand Police
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From: Jakob Parker
Dear New Zealand Police,
Kia ora,
Please treat this message as a request under the Official Information Act 1982.
I am seeking information about any technology deployed on New Zealand Police vehicles that is capable of actively scanning, capturing, or processing vehicle registration plates (automatic number-plate recognition / ANPR, LPR, plate-scanning cameras or similar systems).
Specifically, please provide the following information for the period 1 January 2024 to present (or, if easier, details of the systems currently in use and any systems used during the past 12 months):
1. A description of all systems used on police vehicles capable of detecting, reading, or scanning number plates (make/model, vendor, and software where applicable).
2. Whether these systems perform real-time scanning of plates in the vehicle’s vicinity (as opposed to only targeted/manual scans). If so, please describe how “vicinity” is defined operationally (range/coverage).
3. The intended operational uses of the vehicle-mounted plate-scanning systems (e.g., offender detection, stolen vehicle checks, surveillance, missing persons, traffic enforcement).
4. Whether the systems operate continuously while the vehicle is on patrol, only when activated, or in other modes — and what triggers activation.
5. What databases or watchlists the scanned plate data is checked against (e.g., Police national databases, Waka Kotahi, NZTA, other interagency or private lists).
6. Data capture and retention practices:
What data is stored when a plate is scanned (plate text, photo/image, GPS coordinates, timestamp, vehicle make/model, etc.)?
Retention periods for the different data types.
Where and how the data is stored (on-vehicle, central servers, cloud providers — and their locations).
7. Who has access to scanned plate data (roles/groups) and what access controls/auditing exists.
8. Any policies, internal guidelines, or standard operating procedures that govern the use of vehicle-based plate-scanning systems. Please provide copies of those documents.
9. Any privacy impact assessments, legal advice, risk assessments, or similar reviews carried out in relation to these systems. Please provide copies.
10. Details of any contracts, procurement documents, or Memoranda of Understanding with vendors or other agencies relating to vehicle plate-scanning technology (please supply redacted copies where necessary).
11. Any known instances, summaries, or statistics of how often plate scans have resulted in actionable matches in the period requested (e.g., number of hits on watchlists, arrests resulting from scans) — aggregated if necessary for privacy.
12. Details of training given to staff in the operation and lawful use of plate-scanning technology.
If some of the above information is not held centrally, please advise which Police districts or units hold the information and, where possible, provide the relevant contacts or transfer responsibility for that portion of the request to the appropriate unit.
Please provide the documents in an electronic format (PDF or Word), and where parts of the request are refused, please provide the legal grounds for refusal and any severable information that can be released.
If there are charges associated with processing this request, please let me know an estimate of the cost and whether you require a deposit before proceeding. If you consider any part of this request to be better handled as a directed request to a specific branch (e.g., National Headquarters, CIRT, Traffic, or Technology Services), please advise and transfer it accordingly.
My contact details are below — please contact me if you need to clarify scope, and otherwise please acknowledge receipt of this request under the Official Information Act.
Ngā mihi nui / Kind regards,
Yours faithfully,
Jakob Parker
From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police
Tēnā koe Jakob
I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request below.
Your reference number is IR-01-25-36577.
You can expect a response to your request on or before 3 November 2025 unless an extension is needed.
Ngā mihi, Michelle
Advisor - Police National Headquarters
-----Original Message-----
From: Jakob Parker <[FOI #32470 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 4 October 2025 12:28 AM
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Official Information request - Number Plate scanning technology
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the New Zealand Police Network. DO NOT click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and are assured that the content is safe.
Dear New Zealand Police,
Kia ora,
Please treat this message as a request under the Official Information Act 1982.
I am seeking information about any technology deployed on New Zealand Police vehicles that is capable of actively scanning, capturing, or processing vehicle registration plates (automatic number-plate recognition / ANPR, LPR, plate-scanning cameras or similar systems).
Specifically, please provide the following information for the period 1 January 2024 to present (or, if easier, details of the systems currently in use and any systems used during the past 12 months):
1. A description of all systems used on police vehicles capable of detecting, reading, or scanning number plates (make/model, vendor, and software where applicable).
2. Whether these systems perform real-time scanning of plates in the vehicle’s vicinity (as opposed to only targeted/manual scans). If so, please describe how “vicinity” is defined operationally (range/coverage).
3. The intended operational uses of the vehicle-mounted plate-scanning systems (e.g., offender detection, stolen vehicle checks, surveillance, missing persons, traffic enforcement).
4. Whether the systems operate continuously while the vehicle is on patrol, only when activated, or in other modes — and what triggers activation.
5. What databases or watchlists the scanned plate data is checked against (e.g., Police national databases, Waka Kotahi, NZTA, other interagency or private lists).
6. Data capture and retention practices:
What data is stored when a plate is scanned (plate text, photo/image, GPS coordinates, timestamp, vehicle make/model, etc.)?
Retention periods for the different data types.
Where and how the data is stored (on-vehicle, central servers, cloud providers — and their locations).
7. Who has access to scanned plate data (roles/groups) and what access controls/auditing exists.
8. Any policies, internal guidelines, or standard operating procedures that govern the use of vehicle-based plate-scanning systems. Please provide copies of those documents.
9. Any privacy impact assessments, legal advice, risk assessments, or similar reviews carried out in relation to these systems. Please provide copies.
10. Details of any contracts, procurement documents, or Memoranda of Understanding with vendors or other agencies relating to vehicle plate-scanning technology (please supply redacted copies where necessary).
11. Any known instances, summaries, or statistics of how often plate scans have resulted in actionable matches in the period requested (e.g., number of hits on watchlists, arrests resulting from scans) — aggregated if necessary for privacy.
12. Details of training given to staff in the operation and lawful use of plate-scanning technology.
If some of the above information is not held centrally, please advise which Police districts or units hold the information and, where possible, provide the relevant contacts or transfer responsibility for that portion of the request to the appropriate unit.
Please provide the documents in an electronic format (PDF or Word), and where parts of the request are refused, please provide the legal grounds for refusal and any severable information that can be released.
If there are charges associated with processing this request, please let me know an estimate of the cost and whether you require a deposit before proceeding. If you consider any part of this request to be better handled as a directed request to a specific branch (e.g., National Headquarters, CIRT, Traffic, or Technology Services), please advise and transfer it accordingly.
My contact details are below — please contact me if you need to clarify scope, and otherwise please acknowledge receipt of this request under the Official Information Act.
Ngā mihi nui / Kind regards,
Yours faithfully,
Jakob Parker
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This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #32470 email]
Is [New Zealand Police request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Police? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
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===============================================================
WARNING
The information contained in this email message is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this message or any of its contents. Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately
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From: Ministerial Services
New Zealand Police
Kia ora
I refer to your request below. I have been asked to advise you that Police requires an extension of time in which to respond to your request, pursuant to section 15A(1)(b), consultations necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a proper response to the request cannot reasonably be made within the original time limit.
Police requires until 8 December 2025 to provide a substantive response to your request, however we are endeavouring to provide this to you as soon as possible.
You have the right, under section 28(3) of the OIA, to make a complaint to an Ombudsman about this extension. Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi,
Siena (she/her)
Advisor - Ministerial Services
Police National Headquarters
-----Original Message-----
From: Ministerial Services
Sent: Monday, 6 October 2025 11:50 am
To: 'Jakob Parker' <[FOI #32470 email]>
Subject: OIA acknowledgement IR-01-25-36577 - Number Plate scanning technology
Tēnā koe Jakob
I acknowledge receipt of your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request below.
Your reference number is IR-01-25-36577.
You can expect a response to your request on or before 3 November 2025 unless an extension is needed.
Ngā mihi, Michelle
Advisor - Police National Headquarters
-----Original Message-----
From: Jakob Parker <[FOI #32470 email]>
Sent: Saturday, 4 October 2025 12:28 AM
To: Ministerial Services <[email address]>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Official Information request - Number Plate scanning technology
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the New Zealand Police Network. DO NOT click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and are assured that the content is safe.
Dear New Zealand Police,
Kia ora,
Please treat this message as a request under the Official Information Act 1982.
I am seeking information about any technology deployed on New Zealand Police vehicles that is capable of actively scanning, capturing, or processing vehicle registration plates (automatic number-plate recognition / ANPR, LPR, plate-scanning cameras or similar systems).
Specifically, please provide the following information for the period 1 January 2024 to present (or, if easier, details of the systems currently in use and any systems used during the past 12 months):
1. A description of all systems used on police vehicles capable of detecting, reading, or scanning number plates (make/model, vendor, and software where applicable).
2. Whether these systems perform real-time scanning of plates in the vehicle’s vicinity (as opposed to only targeted/manual scans). If so, please describe how “vicinity” is defined operationally (range/coverage).
3. The intended operational uses of the vehicle-mounted plate-scanning systems (e.g., offender detection, stolen vehicle checks, surveillance, missing persons, traffic enforcement).
4. Whether the systems operate continuously while the vehicle is on patrol, only when activated, or in other modes — and what triggers activation.
5. What databases or watchlists the scanned plate data is checked against (e.g., Police national databases, Waka Kotahi, NZTA, other interagency or private lists).
6. Data capture and retention practices:
What data is stored when a plate is scanned (plate text, photo/image, GPS coordinates, timestamp, vehicle make/model, etc.)?
Retention periods for the different data types.
Where and how the data is stored (on-vehicle, central servers, cloud providers — and their locations).
7. Who has access to scanned plate data (roles/groups) and what access controls/auditing exists.
8. Any policies, internal guidelines, or standard operating procedures that govern the use of vehicle-based plate-scanning systems. Please provide copies of those documents.
9. Any privacy impact assessments, legal advice, risk assessments, or similar reviews carried out in relation to these systems. Please provide copies.
10. Details of any contracts, procurement documents, or Memoranda of Understanding with vendors or other agencies relating to vehicle plate-scanning technology (please supply redacted copies where necessary).
11. Any known instances, summaries, or statistics of how often plate scans have resulted in actionable matches in the period requested (e.g., number of hits on watchlists, arrests resulting from scans) — aggregated if necessary for privacy.
12. Details of training given to staff in the operation and lawful use of plate-scanning technology.
If some of the above information is not held centrally, please advise which Police districts or units hold the information and, where possible, provide the relevant contacts or transfer responsibility for that portion of the request to the appropriate unit.
Please provide the documents in an electronic format (PDF or Word), and where parts of the request are refused, please provide the legal grounds for refusal and any severable information that can be released.
If there are charges associated with processing this request, please let me know an estimate of the cost and whether you require a deposit before proceeding. If you consider any part of this request to be better handled as a directed request to a specific branch (e.g., National Headquarters, CIRT, Traffic, or Technology Services), please advise and transfer it accordingly.
My contact details are below — please contact me if you need to clarify scope, and otherwise please acknowledge receipt of this request under the Official Information Act.
Ngā mihi nui / Kind regards,
Yours faithfully,
Jakob Parker
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #32470 email]
Is [New Zealand Police request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Police? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================
WARNING
The information contained in this email message is intended for the addressee only and may contain privileged information. It may also be subject to the provisions of section 50 of the Policing Act 2008, which creates an offence to have unlawful possession of Police property. If you are not the intended recipient of this message or have received this message in error, you must not peruse, use, distribute or copy this message or any of its contents. Also note, the views expressed in this message may not necessarily reflect those of the New Zealand Police. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately
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