By BRIDGET COOK
POLICE cracked down on unregistered vehicles and unlicensed drivers during an operation in Casey this week.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) was used as part of Operation Quattro, held along Cranbourne Narre Warren Road for a few hours on Tuesday.
Operation supervisor Sergeant Kim Staples, from Cranbourne Police Station, said the ANPR camera scanned all numberplates going through the camera as part of the operation.
“The aim is to establish the status of the vehicle and driver and also to indicate if the owner has any sheriff’s interests,” he said.
“The operation is part of an ongoing initiative to prevent unroadworthy and unregistered vehicles or unlicensed drivers to use the public roads.
“The initiative is also designed to provide a clear police presence to the public at large.
“Police are determined to enforce the road safety initiative in Victoria and all available means will be used to locate and prosecute drivers who fail to abide by the decisions of the courts or to contravene the Road Safety Act thereby endangering other road users.
“This type of operation will be a regular occurrence in the Casey Police Service Area.”
Sgt Staples said more than 2000 vehicles were scanned on Tuesday which identified a number of unlicensed and suspended drivers as well as several unregistered and unroadworthy vehicles.
“The operation also identified vehicles which breached alcohol interlock conditions and drivers having unrestrained infants in their vehicle,” he said.
Sheriffs from the Justice Department were also involved in the operation.
“Sheriffs identified 28 persons of interest, which resulted in the execution of 588 sheriff’s warrants and the recovery of about $183,000 in fines,” Sgt Staples said.
