IR-01-25-36577
11 May 2026
Jakob Parker
[FYI request #32470 email]
Dear Jakob
Thank you for your Official Information Act 1982 (OIA) request of 4 October 2025 seeking
information about any technology deployed on New Zealand Police vehicles that is
capable of actively scanning, capturing, or processing vehicle registration plates.
I have listed each of your questions below, along with the relevant Police responses:
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).
Across the country there are eleven Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
equipped Police vehicles. Those vehicles use three 3M ANPR P442 cameras mounted
on the vehicles’ lightbars.
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).
The system performs real‑time scanning of vehicle registration plates, theoretically with
capability of up to 3,000 reads per hour.
Information relating to the range of the technology and the meaning of ‘vicinity’ within the
context of your request is contained in the ‘ANPR Camera Alignment’ document, which is
provided to you with this response.
3. The intended operational uses of the vehicle-mounted plate-scanning systems
(e.g. offender detection, stolen vehicle checks, surveil ance, missing persons,
traffic enforcement).
Police National Headquarters 180 Molesworth Street. PO Box 3017, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.
Telephone: 04 474 9499. Fax: 04 498 7400. www.police.govt.nz
The Police Instructions chapter ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’ contains the
information you have requested. This document is published on the New Zealand Police
website, at:
Automatic number plate recognition - Police Manual chapter | New Zealand Police
This part of your request is therefore refused pursuant to s18(d) OIA in that the
information is publicly available.
4. Whether the systems operate continuously while the vehicle is on patrol, only
when activated, or in other modes — and what triggers activation.
Once the system has been logged into, it becomes fully operational. The system
generates alerts whenever a licence plate read matches a vehicle’s registration plate
stored in the database.
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).
The ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’ Police Instructions chapter contains the
information you have requested, which as outlined above is published on the Police
website. This part of your request is therefore refused pursuant to s18(d) OIA in that the
information is publicly available.
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).
Once a registration plate is scanned the information collected and stored are the GPS co-
ordinates, date, time and the registration plate as read by the camera.
The data is stored within the secure in-vehicle system, then if required is transferred to a
secure standalone system for processing at the end of each shift. If not required, the
data is deleted.
7. Who has access to scanned plate data (roles/groups) and what access
controls/auditing exists.
ANPR data is managed in accordance with the Police Information Security policy. This
policy is published on the Police website, at:
Information security: Overview - Police Manual chapter | New Zealand Police
This part of your request is therefore refused pursuant to s18(d) OIA in that the
information is publicly available.
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.
As outlined above, the Police Instructions chapter ‘Automatic Number Plate Recognition’
is published on the Police website. This part of your request is therefore refused pursuant
to s18(d) OIA in that the information is publicly available.
9. Any privacy impact assessments, legal advice, risk assessments, or similar
reviews carried out in relation to these systems. Please provide copies.
The relevant Privacy Impact Assessment is available on the Police website, at:
Privacy Impact Assessment - Police use of ANPR platforms - Simply Privacy
I also enclose email correspondence between New Zealand Police staff and staff from
the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, which is within the scope of your request (18
pages).
Redactions have been applied pursuant to s9(2)(h) OIA in that withholding the
information is necessary to maintain legal professional privilege, and pursuant to s9(2)(a)
OIA in that withholding the relevant information is necessary to protect the privacy of
natural persons.
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).
In relation to ANPR technology deployed on Police vehicles, there are no contracts,
procurement documents, or Memoranda of Understanding in existence. Accordingly, this
part of your request is refused under s(18)(e) of the OIA, in that the information requested
does not exist.
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.
Police do not record the information requested in a format that can be readily retrieved.
To find this information, Police would have to access every investigation file across
multiple systems and conduct a manual assessment of each. This part of your request is
therefore refused under section 18(f) OIA, as the information cannot be made available
without substantial collation or research.
I consider that fixing a charge under s15 OIA, extending the time limit for this response
under s15A OIA or consulting with you further wil stil not enable a response to be made
to this part of your request.
12. Details of training given to staff in the operation and lawful use of plate-
scanning technology
Prior to operating ANPR equipped Police vehicles, Police members are trained on the
use of the technology. This training includes:
•
activating the system
•
operating the system
•
transferring data
•
vehicle deployment and setup
•
stopping vehicles
•
information security
•
safe vehicle operation whilst using technology
I trust that the information provided is of use to you. If you are not satisfied with my
response, you have the right under section 28(3) of the OIA to ask the Ombudsman to
review my decision. Information on how to do this is available online at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Yours sincerely
Warren Olsson
Detective Inspector
National Criminal Investigations Group
Police National Headquarters
