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FOIA Documents Reveal Massive DEA Program to Record American’s Whereabouts With License Plate Read

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posted on Jan, 26 2015 @ 11:13 PM
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The Drug Enforcement Administration has initiated a massive national license plate reader program with major civil liberties concerns but disclosed very few details, according to new DEA documents obtained by the ACLU through the Freedom of Information Act.

The DEA is currently operating a National License Plate Recognition initiative that connects DEA license plate readers with those of other law enforcement agencies around the country. A Washington Post headline proclaimed in February 2014 that the Department of Homeland Security had cancelled its “national license-plate tracking plan,” but all that was ended was one Immigrations and Customs Enforcement solicitation for proposals. In fact, a government-run national license plate tracking

FOIA Documents Reveal Massive DEA Program to Record American’s Whereabouts With License Plate Readers

This bothers me a great deal. The article goes on to ask some very good questions. How many of these readers are the DEA currently operating? What, if any, impact has this actually had? How broad is this program? Who all is involved with sharing data?

The DEA has invited Federal, State and local Law Enforcement agencies to contribute to this program. It's frightening to know that anyone belonging to one of these groups is allowed access to the database if they are "vetted". So how many people have access? How hard is it to gain access?

As usual, all the details are not provided to us citizens, so we can't even make an informed complaint. I don't think that the DEA or anyone else needs to know where I drive, when I drive, or why I'm driving.

I don't think everyone driving down a "drug corridor" should be subject to monitoring and suspicion. I don't feel like this is an appropriate use of technology. I don't feel safer. I don't feel like netting a big drug bust makes monitoring everyone acceptable. let me drive down the freaking street without being on camera and having my car slapped into a database. I thought red light cameras and speed cameras were bad. This is a new level of messed up.

I am all for LE using technological advancements to hem up the bad guys. Thing is, I don't want to be caught in the net at the same time based on where I live, where I drive, etc. I might be overreacting. This just stinks to me. I feel like there have to better ways of keeping harmful drugs off our streets that don't require a database and information sharing of anyone that just happens to drive in an area where these cameras are present.



posted on Jan, 26 2015 @ 11:24 PM
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I used to be what could be considered paranoid.
Now I just avoid people that I suspect are "hot."
Land of the free.



posted on Jan, 26 2015 @ 11:24 PM
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I used to be what could be considered paranoid.
Now I just avoid people that I suspect are "hot."
Land of the free.



posted on Jan, 26 2015 @ 11:31 PM
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originally posted by: Domo1
This just stinks to me. I feel like there have to better ways of keeping harmful drugs off our streets that don't require a database and information sharing of anyone that just happens to drive in an area where these cameras are present.


There are better ways of keeping drugs off the streets. This monitoring isn't about stopping drugs. That's just the convenient excuse tptb are using.



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 12:08 AM
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originally posted by: skunkape23
I used to be what could be considered paranoid.
Now I just avoid people that I suspect are "hot."
Land of the free.


The land of the freeks




posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 12:29 AM
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a reply to: Domo1

Here is the issue the ACLU is going to have.

A person has no expectation of privacy in public. Since license plates are on the outside of the vehicle and are in public view there is nothing illegal or unconstitutional about using license plate readers. They have been used by local law enforcement for sometime now.

information can be programmed into the reads and can be set to alert the officer if it detects a listed plate number. In my neck of the woods stolen vehicle information, amber alert plate info, known gang members etc are programmed in.

Absent a license plate reader an officer can just run the plate through their MDT's if available or have dispatch run the plate for the info.

The court case is US vs. Ellison - 2006.

in that instance a license plate check showed the driver had felony warrants. The court ruled against the state citing 4th amendment violations (fruit of the poisonous tree) based on no cause for the registration check. The 6th circuit overturned the ruling.


edit on 27-1-2015 by Xcathdra because: (no reason given)

edit on 27-1-2015 by Xcathdra because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 12:33 AM
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A lot of this data gathering ties back to their SOD(special operations department). They also use cell phone wiretaps extensively on those they are targeting in the 'war' on drugs to aid their parallel construction. Of course they try to keep a lot of this Top Secret, and often try to pretend that a lucky cop just happened to pull the target over for a tail light being out, and then for whatever BS reason decided that drugs dogs are needed. The use of SOD and license plate tracking is kept out of the discovery process in the courts if possible.

By using tag tracking(here in Florida most departments have them and they do share the info with the DEA) along with the cell phone data, they will deduce when a target may have a large amount of drugs and money so they can make a successful bust.

It is a shame that the so called war on drugs has given the authorities yet another reason to trample on the Bill of Rights. Addicts who are busted often just become a product of the probation/prison system with no real hope of rehab.

This is just another step into a Big Brother is always watching society.
edit on 27-1-2015 by jrod because: s



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 01:06 AM
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a reply to: Domo1

The police want to take the easiest way out, even at the expense of our rights and privacy -



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 02:46 AM
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originally posted by: darkbake
a reply to: Domo1

The police want to take the easiest way out, even at the expense of our rights and privacy -


Then do something about it instead of just accepting it and bitching about it.

Things only change when people do something.



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 11:48 AM
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I'm not sure what's worse,
thinking that I'm being paranoid, or knowing that I should be.



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 12:15 PM
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a reply to: Xcathdra

The voting system is essentially rigged due to an ignorant population who insist in voting only with someone with a D or R next to their name.

States on the West Coast are moving in the right direction, however there is a lot of resistance from the 'Red' states. I have seen first how how the propaganda was used to persuade the voters of Florida over their medical cannabis(still 57% in favor, but it needed 60%). The Sheriff's Organizations and Prison Guard Unions were some of the biggest contributors against the amendment. There is a lot of money being made by the state in fines, probation, and prison labor from drug crimes.

In my opinion the War on Drugs is a Civil War that is currently being fought on our homeland. It is a flawed war, given that addiction is a medical problem, yet due to this 'war' addiction to certain substance is now a crime, while addiction to others substances is encouraged(caffeine, Rx drugs) . It also causes hyper-inflation on drug prices which gives bad people plenty of opportunity to make a lot of money covertly. The DEA has an Army of informants that are covertly on payroll, they will send CIs and UCs to befriend someone for years to gain intel.

Now the DEA and friends are using the Drug War as an excuse to essentially track everyone's movement.

What kind of conclusion do you think the educated and intelligent people draw from this reality?



edit on 27-1-2015 by jrod because: C

edit on 27-1-2015 by jrod because: C



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 09:18 PM
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a reply to: Xcathdra

I think that's great advice but I personally have no idea where to start.



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 09:44 PM
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A day after I wrote a damning letter to the Vancouver Police department, I was pulled over in the most suspicious matter. I asked the officer if he had something like what the OP described and he responded with "we have all the toys". He seemed as confused as I was that my car was flagged but left without any questions. If I was under a "do not detain" he would not have pulled me over I don't think since the alert would have stated that. He just asked if it was my car, I said it was insured to me and he left. He did ID my passenger though (asked not ordered) which I always find a little over reaching.

I don't care if the police read plates and that says a lot since police here have never minced words with their dislike towards me. It usually takes them 20-30 minutes in the cruiser before they come to window for them to get through all the police "intelligence" gathered on my and all I do is laugh. When crown council actually learns my name I will worry, till then it is just stupid cops abusing powers and writing stories in their laptop. That is their waste of time, not mine.


edit on 27-1-2015 by MALBOSIA because: (no reason given)



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 10:25 PM
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Nothing to worry about when they put the black boxs in autos to track how much you drive and how much you will be taxed this will be done away with./sarc
a reply to: Domo1



posted on Jan, 27 2015 @ 10:58 PM
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a reply to: Domo1

The machine is watching. Ever seen Person of Interest? They aren't kidding. Far more truth than fiction in that show. I suspect they have done this for some time, and are simply admitting to it now.



posted on Jan, 28 2015 @ 12:36 AM
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Crazy tin foil hat wearers, the government isn't watching you.... oh wait, they are.

Ummm.... how about this one? Crazy tin foil hat wearers, don't you know that the government only wants to protect you? If you're not doing anything wrong then what have you got to worry about?



posted on Jan, 28 2015 @ 04:49 AM
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originally posted by: Domo1
I think that's great advice but I personally have no idea where to start.


Your local representatives.
Your federal representatives.

US House of Reps
US Senate

Both sites have a link allowing you to input where you live and providing the relevant links to your reps.



posted on Jan, 28 2015 @ 02:42 PM
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it would not surprise me if every licence plate ever made had a tracking chip.



posted on Jan, 28 2015 @ 03:16 PM
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originally posted by: JourneymanWelder
it would not surprise me if every licence plate ever made had a tracking chip.


It would require an energy source (solar panels or battery), a GPS receiver, accelerometer and transmitter. But licence plates tend to fall off at random, so that's not practical. Therefore you get GPS trackers that plug into the electronic system and in theory could log everything happening to the car.



posted on Jan, 28 2015 @ 03:29 PM
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So, there is a technology that can fight this (it stops red light cameras too) and that's infrared light. Cameras cannot deal with infrared light, it just shows up as a white splotch. You can try it at home with a remote control and your phones camera. With powerful enough lights you can blank out your license plate while still leaving it readable in person or wear a hat that blocks your face from security cameras.

I've read a bit about people trying to do this on their cars but they've failed because they haven't been able to put out enough light to protect their plates during daytime. If we have any bored electrical engineers here it would be a good project for someone to work on.




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