In today’s fast-paced law enforcement environment, real-time intelligence is more critical than ever. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)—known globally as ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition) in North America or NPR (Number Plate Recognition) in some regions—is becoming an indispensable tool for agencies seeking to stay one step ahead of crime. ANPR systems automatically capture and process vehicle registration marks (VRMs) from cameras, generating a stream of time-stamped location data that can be used in both tactical operations and strategic investigations.
While ANPR technology is often associated with traffic enforcement or toll collection, its true potential lies in its ability to support intelligence-led policing. The data collected by these systems—vehicle registration numbers, timestamps, camera locations, direction of travel, and sometimes even vehicle make, model, and color—forms a rich source of actionable intelligence.
As with other data sources this information is very often siloed and lacks an analytical capability that enables the user to fuse this information with other sources to speed up intelligence-led decisions.
Inspired by some of our customer engagements over the years below is a list of common use cases that can be solved with our software and the ANPR data in isolation.
After that I describe the potential of fusing this information with other data sources from within your i2 intelligence platform.
Before we even integrate ANPR data with broader intelligence systems, the standalone value of this data is significant. Here are some key analytical use cases that can be executed directly using ANPR data feeds:
Convoy Analysis allows you to detect vehicles traveling together. This can reveal patterns of association that may not be visible through traditional investigation methods. Applications include:
This method identifies vehicles that were present in a specific area at the time of a crime or event. By analyzing camera detections within a geofenced radius and time window, investigators can narrow down suspects or witnesses rapidly.
Analysts can produce custom VRM lists from plate captures, enabling comparisons with existing hotlists or national crime databases. These lists can be filtered by time, location, or frequency to refine search parameters.
By comparing multiple ANPR datasets—such as those from different events, crime scenes, or surveillance operations—analysts can identify vehicles that appear in multiple contexts, highlighting key subjects of interest or potential links between cases.
While powerful in isolation, ANPR data becomes transformative when integrated with wider intelligence. Our i2 platform enables fusion with communication data, criminal records, surveillance footage, and more. This holistic view unlocks deeper insights.
Combine camera detections with known gang member associations or suspect profiles to pinpoint suspects in areas of interest during specific timeframes.
Overlay ANPR hits with mobile phone activity (e.g., tower pings) to help attribute a communication device to a suspect, strengthening evidentiary chains.
After incidents like shootings, investigators can use ANPR to identify stolen vehicles leaving the scene, trace their origins, and recover forensic evidence from theft locations.
i2 Group has supported law enforcement for years with proven capabilities that deliver operational results. Our analytical tools are purpose-built for real-time crime centers, investigations, and intelligence units, allowing rapid insight generation while maintaining full data sovereignty. Importantly, our solutions are open and interoperable, ensuring that your data stored in our platform can be integrated into third-party platforms without the burden of additional licensing costs.
By dropping the ANPR data into the i2 iBase plug-in and matching the VRM to the stored DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) Whitelist data, which has information on vehicle make, model and colour, analysts can use the i2 analysis platform to link the ANPR record to any vehicles listed in existing crime system databases.
Through these means, analysts can, for example, locate a vehicle and its driver to a time and place, building a pattern of that vehicle’s movements. Combining these critical insights on the vehicle’s location with cell site information, analysts can then link the driver’s phone to that vehicle, proving that that individual was present at the time and in that specific location.
But that is just the start. Armed with the vehicle data and license plate, analysts can tap into data stored in the i2 iBase to identify the vehicle’s owner as well as build up a history of previous incidents involving the vehicle and the owner.
The intelligence gleaned using ANPR system plugged into the iBase also allows them to link multiple crime scenes, which may not have been previously detected and also identify the suspect’s accomplices.
The system is so sophisticated that analysts can highlight linked crime scenes, for example, where a vehicle was stolen (first crime scene); where the main crime was committed (second crime scene); and where the vehicle was dumped (third crime scene).
ANPR data insights like this hand analysts a wealth of actionable intelligence – for instance, they can identify potential accomplices who may only be involved in one of the three crime scenes. They can then track each mobile device at these locations and identify potential suspects acting as accomplices.
For real-time crime centers, intelligence departments, and investigative teams, ANPR is not just a surveillance tool—it is a strategic asset. When paired with the right analytical tools, it enhances everything from street-level responses to high-level intelligence operations. At i2 Group, we are committed to helping you extract every ounce of value from your data to make communities safer and smarter.
Let’s bring intelligence to every intersection.
Martin worked as a law enforcement officer and analyst at the Danish National Police for 16 years before joining i2 Group in 2015. Previously leading the EMEA technical sales team, Martin is now Global Law Enforcement Industry Leader.