Got ’em on a plate

By Kath Gannaway
A JOINT operation between Healesville and Yarra Glen police last week nabbed six unlicensed drivers, one who was suspended and detected nine unregistered vehicles.
Working with a Victoria Police Road Safety Officer, local police police used number plate recognition technology on the Maroondah and Melba highways to check more than 1000 drivers as part of the two-day operation.
The road safety officer operates from a custom-fitted, unmarked van using a camera linked to a number plate information database which is updated every couple of days.
Sergeant Richard Coulson from Yarra Glen said the technology was “very effective” in identifying offenders.
“You tend to get a trifecta; if the driver is suspended or disqualified, it’s usually an accumulation of demerit points and they’re often driving an unregistered car.
“We’ll be running these operations on a regular basis and people need to be aware that if they are driving an unregistered vehicle, there’s a very high chance they will be caught in these targeted operations,” he said.