By Belinda Nolan
BRIMBANK Highway Patrol detected more than 130 offences during a three-day operation last month.
Using state-of-the-art technology, police set up shop at St Albans, Deer Park and Caroline Springs, checking more than 1000 cars as part of Operation Barro, an initiative which aimed to remove unauthorised drivers from the road.
Officers deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) machines to scan the number plates of more than 1000 drivers, in a bid to crack down on unlicensed, disqualified or unregistered driving.
Launched last month, the ANPR machines rapidly scan number plates and check them against an online computer database.
The machines are capable of scanning hundreds of cars an hour and generating results within seconds, allowing police to intercept offenders almost instantly.
The three-day blitz yielded impressive results, with police detecting more than 130 offences, including 65 unregistered drivers, 27 unlicensed drivers and 18 disqualified or suspended.
Officers also nabbed two drink drivers, five using their mobile phones and six failing to wear seatbelts.
Police impounded five cars during the operation, with the owners to face court for driving offences.
Brimbank Highway Patrol Sergeant Rod Stein hailed the operation as a success, but said he was disappointed the message wasn’t getting through to some drivers.
“We’re pleased that the operation worked and that we were able to take so many offenders off the road but at the same time we’re disappointed because the high figures show that there are still people that think they can get away with breaking the rules,” Sgt Stein said.
“I think people commit these offences because they think that they can get away with it, that if they are not doing anything obvious the police will not look at them but the ANPR machines have changed all that.
“People need to realise that we are out there and if you do the wrong thing, we will catch you.”
The operation was conducted between 18-20 January at Taylors Rd, St Albans, Station Rd, Deer Park and the Western Highway in Caroline Springs.
