[Johnny555]

it would reduce the need for inherently-dangerous hot pursuits to follow a vehicle as the cameras would do that anyway.

It wouldn't really reduce the need for the infamous hot-pursuits because often in these hot pursuits, the car is stolen so the driver is not who the car is licensed to.

[DaiPlusPlus]

Hot pursuits are not primarily about identifying the driver either - it's about following the car so they know where it is so they can apprehend the driver. With a pursuit there's a panic, a high probability of the car being damaged or destroyed, and possible injury or death for the driver, the police involved, and of course, any pedestrians caught up in the way.

With a large enough ANPR network, there is no need to chase the car - so the driver won't necessarily panic or act irrationally to evade the police - leading to a higher probability of recovering the vehicle in good condition, and a successful non-dramatic apprehension of the suspects as it makes it easier to catch them by surprise, for example.

[Johnny555]

Right, it's not about identifying the driver, it's about apprehending the driver.

I hope I never live in a society where the driver of a stolen car can expect to be apprehended no matter where he stops because he'll be tracked by a camera network so ubiquitous that he can't escape it.

Because such a ubiquitous network means that all of my travels are being tracked and recorded too - which will likely include facial recognition, so there really will be no escaping Big Brother... and I don't trust any government with so much power and information over citizens to be benign.