Timmins police aim to buy licence plate reader to identify suspended drivers on the road
Const. Chris Gauthier of the Timmins Police Service said he's noticing an upward trend in the number of suspended drivers on local roadways.
He said since November 2020, there are approximately 2,400 suspensions in the city, including people who have expired permits, are caught driving stolen vehicles or are unlicensed.
"They’re either more prone to collisions, more aggressive driving, which is why their licence was suspended in the first place,” Gauthier said.
And that's why he pitched a new piece of equipment to administration. It's a licence plate reader and the OPP and local police in Sudbury are already using them. Gauthier said it's a fantastic tool.
“There’s multiple cameras," he said. "They’re consistently scanning licence plates. It can do about 1,800 a minute and it’s essentially just cross-referencing all those licence plates to a database which is attached to the Ministry of Transportation.”
Officials said it's got a price tag of about $32,000 and it's been included in next year's proposed Timmins Police budget.
The Timmins Police Services Board has just approved it, along with several other requests, such as adding four more officers.
“Timmins police is confronting a serious issue as far as officers off on long-term illness, so we are entertaining all sorts of measures to return these officers to the workforce," said police spokesperson Marc Depatie.
"But it’s a process and in the meanwhile, we have to be mindful of the reality that our call for service volume is extremely high."
The proposed $17 million budget must now get approval from Timmins council.
Officials said they also want to improve the organization's computer system and surveillance cameras, and they said it's also time to upgrade the machine used to test suspected drunk drivers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Local MP, MLA call on federal government to remove sunken vessel in Saint John River
An MP and an MLA are calling for the removal of a sunken vessel in the Saint John River.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.