It’s hard to argue against a law enforcement device that automatically scans license plates, checks the police data banks for infractions (stolen vehicle, traffic violations, etc.) and immediately informs the officer of any outstanding warrants or “issues.” According to the cop showing the $22k roof-mounted system to Newsday reporter Michael Frazier, the “Plate Hunter” reduces an entire day’s [theoretical] checking to 30 seconds. The New York Civil Liberties Union makes the case against using these electronic number plate readers to create a proposed “Ring of Steel” inside Manhattan. "From our perspective, police should be in the business of investigating crimes, not tracking law-abiding citizens," said Christopher Dunn, the group's associate legal director.
Find Reviews by Make:
Read all comments
“Driving is a privilege, not a fundamental right, Dodge said, adding that officers have always recorded plate numbers for investigations. The reader, he said, makes that work easier. ”
No it isn’t a privilege. It isn’t granted or denied on an arbitrary and capricious basis. If I can meet the public saftey requirements for driving, there is no basis for prohibiting me from driving.
I suspect the plate reader will come across so many minor issues that the operator won’t even bother unless something serious comes up.
Did anybody catch the news article about the English driver that hadn’t had a driver’s license or a vehicle plate for 60 years? This in a country totally covered by traffic enforcement and speed cameras.
I wouldn’t be concerned in the least.
Albeit they were used for different infractions, but were not similar arguments used against radar guns when they first came out?
The real argument seems that technology is making it too easy for the police to do their jobs.
“Where are your papers?” A Cheech and Chong joke come to pass in this ridiculous society we’re creating. If you’re looking for absolute security, good luck. Morons get what morons deserve.
Well it could be… just maybe… that the cops are after law-abiding taxpayers with the financial means to pay for infractions.
As opposed to, say, unemployed burglars, drug users, and gang-bangers.
The reason I suggest the possibility above is that since purchasing a flashy new sport-bike a year ago, I have been followed home by the cops several times.
Oddly enough, this doesn’t occur when I drive my beat up old ford pickup.
Idaho, around here the beat up ford will get you followed, as most police seem to equate beat-up truck with “illegal immigrant”
The New York Civil Liberties Union captive clientèle may have to exercise a little more personal responsibility or pay up. LOL.
First, I agree with Dynamic, more or less. Symantics aside, interfering with travel willy nilly is just plain wrong.
While the ACLU does have a role to stop this sort of thing from being used as a harassment tool, I hope they can stop slobbering at the mouth for long enough to realize that the police and this technology could and should have a purpose.
Maybe a law needs to be passed to keep this from being used to nail people who have only a base level of tickets unpaid, say less than $500 worth. We know we can’t trust the police to say they won’t use it that way. I remember when they passed the Texas seat belt law they were very vocal about how it would only be an “add-on” offense and not used as a reason to stop drivers.
Now they use it to stop anyone they want.
Yes, let’s turn cops into parking ticket enforcing agents, this way it is clear the main goal goal is revenue collection.
As an added bonus, we will have a giant database of people tracking. We’ll know who was where at what time. Guilty or not. And if you’re innocent today, it does not mean you will be tomorrow.
All in all automatic surveillance is a great tool. And it won’t stop with licenses plates, soon face recognition will be good enough.
Big Brother is indeed watching you. It’s too bad most people read that novel in high school, it gets tucked in your memory as fantasy/will never happen story.
Go back and read it now. And read some more about George Orwell political writing. He was right.
This is simply a further extension of turning the police from law enforcement towards local governmental revenue generators.
Here’s a question: If police officer is driving behind you, can he punch your license plate into his computer to see if you have any outstanding warrants or if the car is stolen? Even if there is no suspicion on his part, just the fact that your license plate is in front of him?
Yes, he can. Your license plate is publicly displayed and the officer can “run” your plate for any reason or for no reason. You do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy of your license plate number.
So…if this technology is simply doing the same thing that the officer could do by hand, what is the problem? That it may be able to do it faster, more often, or more efficiently doesn’t change the nature of what the officer is doing.
Law abiding citizens should always come up clean anyway, right?
Police aren’t the revenue agents as much as the corrupt politicians at city and state level that take kickbacks from the private companies that install traffic cameras.
Then they start fudging with the timing of the lights if the revenues are not high enough.
Police taking people with suspended licenses and no insurance, as well as habitual offenders, off the road makes it safer for everyone. If we could just get insurance companies to reflect that in our rates.
Cops in Chicago are out looking for city stickers this week. Anything that males the revenue collecting more efficent and allows more cops to do real police work is fine by me.
What I really hate is when you get a ticket in nowhere Indiana and a week later you get the letter offering an “infraction deferral program” for an extra fee on top of the ticket.