Halton Police Are Spending $1.3 Million on New Licence Plate Reading Cameras

Halton police cruisers are getting new cameras that read licence plates as they drive. The Halton Regional Police Service is spending $1,371,083 on the new in-car system, according to a report presented to the police board, and the changeover started November 1.

The outgoing system had reached the end of its working life and was getting harder to maintain and administer. The report calls the replacement "more than a technology refresh," saying it gives the service a chance to modernize how video and other digital evidence is captured, transferred, managed, disclosed and retained, and cuts down on manual work.

The contract went to Axon Public Safety Canada Inc. after a procurement process that drew only two bids, the other from Motorola Solutions. Fitting the system across the fleet is expected to take about a year. Annual software licensing, support and maintenance come to $238,194.35 including net tax, and the five-year contract totals $2,556,247.

The purchase was not discussed at the board meeting. It was approved quickly along with the rest of the information reports, ahead of a long debate on the 2027 budget.