KARACHI: The Karachi police are set to launch a new initiative under the Community Policing Karachi (CPK) project by equipping police mobile units with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, enabling real-time vehicle identification and tracking.

According to social activist and Community Police Karachi (CPK) Chief Murad Soni, ANPR cameras are already installed in various locations, including Defence, New Sabzi Mandi, Azizabad, and Soldier Bazaar, as well as at 16 police stations across Karachi.

Now, the police plan to expand their use by installing these cameras in 50 police mobiles this week, ahead of Ramadan.

Soni said that the system will provide real-time alerts on whether a vehicle is stolen and will be integrated with the Talash app for advanced verification. He further explained that the Talash app will allow officers to conduct fingerprint scans to verify if a suspect has a criminal record or is a wanted fugitive anywhere in Pakistan.

The new system is designed to deliver swift identification, determining within 30 seconds whether a vehicle is stolen. Once an ANPR camera captures a number plate it shows the phone number of the person the vehicle is registered to, and it cross-references the information with existing law enforcement databases. 

If a stolen vehicle is detected, the system immediately alerts officers with an audible beep. Additionally, data from the ANPR system has been merged with the Anti-Vehicle Lifting Cell (AVLC) records to ensure real-time reporting and efficient crime tracking.

The introduction of ANPR cameras in police mobiles is expected to significantly curb vehicle theft and snatching incidents in Karachi.