MELBOURNE CUP: Smart police cars hit streets

Police are adding four new high-tech cars to their fleet to better monitor events and driving behaviour over the Melbourne Cup period.

The BlueNet prototype vehicles were introduced in December last year, and feature Australia’s first fully integrated automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system, in-car video and a mobile data terminal.

The cars, which are fitted with a camera placed on the outside of the vehicle, can scan number plates while patrolling streets and immediately alert the officers to any unregistered vehicles.

Assistant Commissioner Robert Hill said the new vehicles would make the roads safer.