Police overwhelmed by license plates

MIAMI, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Some Florida police say the proliferation of specialty license plates has left them unable to tell where vehicles are from, a report said Wednesday.

Since the space shuttle Challenger explosion led to Florida's first "specialty license plate" in 1987, the state has added dozens more, the Miami Herald reported.

While the plates, soon to reach 94 in number, have raised money for many causes, police say they are squinting to keep of track of them.

"I see them and I don't even know if they are Florida tags," said the Florida Highway Patrol's commander, Col. Chris Knight.

Car owners pay an additional $15 to $25 for specialty tags, with the surcharge going to the cause, institution or professional sports team each tag supports. The panther tag is the most popular, with 108,000 issued in 2002. Next is the manatee, with 95,400 new tags or renewals in 2002.

Since 1987, specialty tags have raised more than $236 million.