[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENGY1CD9y_4[/youtube]

The video above (from BC) demonstrates the new technology that Winnipeg Police Officers will be equiped with this coming year. The $48,000 device equips an unmarked Police vehicle with 2 front facing cameras and one side camera. The side cameras are for parked vehicles in parking lots and the front cameras are for vehicles on the road. The camera scans license plates as they drive by and checks the numbers against the Manitoba Red Flag Plates database. This database contains stolen vehicles, unregistered vehicles, or vehicles that belong to someone with an expired license. For smaller offenses, the system simply takes a photo of the vehicles and they are ticketed afterwards, for bigger offenses, such as a stolen vehicle, the officers are alerted via alarm by the system.

It is capable of capturing up to 3000 plates in a hour. This decision to implement this technology comes from the Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy which will hopefully lead to us no longer being forced to install immobilizers on every single vehicle we own.

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Shots Fired at Polo Park Originally uploaded by AccessWinnipeg

There are various reports coming in of shots being fired at Polo Park just outside the Bay.

More details to follow.

UPDATE:

It turns out that 2 men had attempted to steal a car in the Polo Park Bay parking lot. When they were spotted by 2 officers they jumped into a Grand AM which was previously stolen from a Kildonan Place parking lot. While trying to get the 2 suspects out of the car, one of the suspects attempted to run them over with the stolen car - the officers were forced to fire in attempt to stop the driver. The suspects got away and police are currently in search for the vehicle. There are no reports of any injuries.

Polo Park Shopping Centre remained/remains open during the investigation.

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