Cops with new license plate reading technology

OK last night on the evening Denver news, I saw a disturbing story.

It was a black unmarked cop car, with two little camera devices
on the roof.

The cop drove around, and the car picked up every single license plate.
The guy was stopping cars with plates registered to unlicensed drivers.

The cop was driving through parking lots, looking for cars registered with
people who had warrants out.

The cop, even when he got back to the station, picked up a lady driving without a license from a car parked in the police parking lot!

Man, what's next. Talk about big brother.



Now, well have the people who think this is a good thing.

Probably the same people who support the Patriot Act.



[edit on 20-5-2008 by cutbothways]

Thats some disturbing new technoligy but i think it has already been implemented and used widely in US to keep track of people who are the Main Core database system..

reply to post by Loke.


Probably, but people are unaware.

I didn't know about this new technology,
and I do A LOT of research into this type
of big brother stuff.

I've got a nagging question.

Why the unmarked car?

It's like their sneaking around,
intimidating people with their black
cars, and black uniforms, and their
pants legs stuffed in their boots like
the NAZI's.

The first three top stories last night on the news
where about local cops using excessive force.

The one that got me, was the cop who arrested a lady,
took her to jail, and left her 7 month old baby with a
15 yr old niece on the side of the highway.

They did call the ladies sister, but the cop left BEFORE
she showed up, so the girl and the baby sat on the side
of the interstate for 30 minutes + alone!

Was the arrest THAT important. State Trooper. What a trooper.

State Pooper in my opinion.

ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) systems are widely used in the UK. Most traffic cop cars have them and the DVLA have vans with them attached to catch Tax dodgers.

It's not such a bad thing, if you have nothing to hide then there will be no info on the database and you will go by unnnoticed. Do you not think that getting uninsured/ untaxed drivers, criminals, terrorists, stolen or dangerous cars off the road is a good thing?

The reason for using unmarked cars is simple, they blend in with regular traffic so if someone is breaking the law, they are more likely to carry on so the police can gather evidence. If it was a marked car, everyone around them would be on their best behaviour and criminals wouldn't be noticed.

Why does there have to be a conspiracy in everything If it was up to some people, the police would still just be armed with a truncheon and a whistle and only ride cycles.

[edit on 20-5-2008 by fiftyfifty]

[edit on 20-5-2008 by fiftyfifty]

reply to post by cutbothways

The cop drove around, and the car picked up every single license plate.
The guy was stopping cars with plates registered to unlicensed drivers.

Whats wrong with that? Its illegal to drive without a licence. I would rather be targetted for driving without a licence, than go to jail for vehicular manslaughter if I killed someone while doing it.

The cop was driving through parking lots, looking for cars registered with
people who had warrants out.

Again, whats wrong with that. I guess the lesson to learn is, dont drive your car if you have warrants out for your arrest.

Now, well have the people who think this is a good thing.

Why isnt it, are you driving unlicenced with warrants?

This tech is a good thing as far as Im concerned. And the Patriot Act doesnt affect me, because I dont live there.

CT

That's been common place here in the UK for a number of years - most if not all traffic cops have it - watching them do a peice to a camera while driving through London the cop got fed up with the constant pinging and had to turn it off - it picks up every offence that is on the database, there aint enough hours in the day for them to follow them all up.

We also have road side ones at choke points - bits of road that you either have to use or go miles and miles out in to the country to avoid them, I know of one set up the top of the town I live in as it is a major junction, it's a blue post with a number of small 'tubes' containing the cameras, as you drive by you can see the little LED's on the router going haywire with the network traffic! - also another set on a major bridge - bet i'd see them everywhere if I looked.

What's worse is private companies buy these things - throw them up in car parks and on private land AT ABSERLOUTLEY NO COST TO THE LAND OWNER!! clock everyones number plate - get the details from the DVLA and send out fines - I'll find a link. Here

It's really quite simple - if people obeyed the laws of the land, the police wouldn't need to do this.

Can't do the time, don't do the crime.

I have zero sympathy for motorists who behave irresponsibly or illegally.

reply to post by Now_Then


Interesting. Thanks.

My question is, when do they start
making stuff up, to nab people who
are a bit anti-gov?

Originally posted by budski
It's really quite simple - if people obeyed the laws of the land, the police wouldn't need to do this.

Can't do the time, don't do the crime.

I have zero sympathy for motorists who behave irresponsibly or illegally.

Well, you probably won't mind when they start looking into your bedroom window to make sure your wearing a condom when making love, to keep with the new population control ordinance, will you.

Typical. These will be the same people screaming for their rights as their hauled of to "camps"

reply to post by cutbothways


And just when do you suppose they'll start doing that?

These are selfish people who broke the law.

Don't break the law and you have no reason to be worried - simple.

Far too many motorists think they own the roads just because they paid for a car.
They drive illegally, park illegally and constantly put other people in danger.

If a driver causes a death by dangerous driving they should be tried for murder.

There's a little disparity between that and your absurd statement.

Cams for bedroom windows and condoms

Originally posted by budski
reply to post by cutbothways

 

And just when do you suppose they'll start doing that?

These are selfish people who broke the law.

Don't break the law and you have no reason to be worried - simple.

Far too many motorists think they own the roads just because they paid for a car.
They drive illegally, park illegally and constantly put other people in danger.

If a driver causes a death by dangerous driving they should be tried for murder.

What, like a cop who kills an innocent bystander chasing the stolen car at 100mph + ??

Cops will protect the brotherhood, before the citizens. You will see soon enough.

Near enough every police car in Britain has them cameras. I got caught by one, driving my friends car without insurance at 2am about 30 miles from the nearest town (because he was drunk and we were stuck, but hey. It happens.)
And unmarked cars are getting more covert. I recently went on a long motorway journey, and saw at least 4 people being pulled by say, shiny black volvos, or silver ford mondeos, with absolutely nothing showing. They just looked like very expensive, very luxurious, very FAST cars. The lights weren't even visible in the radiator grill or the back window, they were completely hidden in the pillars either side of the windscreen and back window.

And I've noticed as well, coppers driving these cars all seem to wear black shoes, pants, shirt, and a black vest (what it protects them from I don't know).
In my experience, I could tell they wanted me to show fear. The fact I didn't I didn't seems to be the only thing that saved me from 7 days in jail (on another occasion.)

reply to post by budski


So budski there is no law that you have to pay tax on your labor, so why do people go to jail for it. Why can they take your possessions when you don't pay. There are plenty of laws that are ridiculous and the fines have been ratcheted up to help run the cities and counties. In San Diego right now speeding in a construction zone is 1000.00 fine. Believe me when I say I understand your point but it just seems that the original intent of the police force was to protect and serve and now is has become lets turn a profit so our investors are happy. As a side note i doubt this would help catch all the cars from mexico here in California.

reply to post by dreamsnatcher


There's a lot of nonsense floating around in the UK about how the police make vast sums from speeding tickets etc - but it simply isn't the case.

That said, I don't know the situation regarding revenue streams from violations in the US.

What I DO know, is that my life has been in danger on at least 6 separate occasions by motorists who couldn't be bothered to obey the law.

I hear people talking about getting fined for parking on double-yellow lines, and complaining about it.

These are the same people who park on blind corners, on pedestrian crossings, and so far on the pavement that pedestrians have to walk around them, on the road, to get past.

The same people who drive whilst banned, whilst drunk and with complete disregard for other road users and pedestrians.

Fine them, ban them - and if they continue to drive whilst banned or won't pay the fines, lock them up for a few months.

If they have no consideration, then why should I have any.

reply to post by budski


What happened to probable cause?

Pretty soon, if your having a beer
after work, they will be looking at
your plates to see if you have any
past DUI's, and then they will wait
to nab you.

Or, what happen when they read your
plates, and you show up on the no-fly list,
or, coming soon, the no-drive list, because
you may be a threat to the gov.

People haven't died protecting their right to
privacy for nothing.

Except, maybe in your eyes.

Go to work, pay you taxes, and
be a good little citizen, and we
may let you live in relative peace,
until your land is sitting in the path
of the new road to the "camp"

" If you have nothing to hide.." every time I read that it makes me want to retch. It misses the point totally. It is not what we have to HIDE, it is what we have to PROTECT..the Rights..the few rights that we still have left. The police want to have total and absolute control and power over us ' for our own good ' of course, and they are only limited by what we will allow and not get enraged over enopugh to resist.

I have not yet read anything in this thread about the common practice of destroying those camera's and boxes that hold them in Britain. I saw an article that had dozens of pictures of burned out and totally destroyed boxes from people that were tired of being watched and checked..There is a backlash happening and it will increase. Are the computer operators perfect? Do they make mistakes? Can those mistakes lead to an innocent citizen being affected? Of course. So when we calmly accept any and all intrusions and technology we are making ourselves open for total domination.

In the USA the police tried to detect heat signatures from homes by flying around with a heat detector, and only on the basis of a color on a screen, would get a warrant and raid the home, assuming that a cannabis grow was happening. But of course the people with legitimate reasons got raided too...hot tubs, regular home gardens, furnaces, sunning tables in an attic..anything could account for a high temp...and the Supreme Court stopped that. It is no longer legal for the cop's to randomly fly around looking at heat sig's ...and thank God. Next we will see the cop's driving by and shining devices at us on the street that will show thru our clothes, make us naked...just think of all the guffaws and jokes that the cop's will have with that while they slurp their coffee and donuts..

Then it will be large trrucks driving down our streets peering into the homes themselves and looking for ' weapons and drugs ' by their signatures...of course they will be able to see you bathing and having sex...but hey..if you have nothing to hide...right?

Then it will be yellow circles all over everywhere where we all obediently place our hands and spread our legs apart when told to by anyone with a badge.....and we will not think anything of it...and then where will we be? Thats the end...better to go out with a hot barrel melting in your grip than a contented sheep that never saw past the fence.

reply to post by cutbothways


You don't understand - with freedom comes responsibility.

I get fed up with all the cry-babies who want to do whatever they want and not take any responsibility for their own actions.

Someone gets caught DUI?
Their problem - what the hell are they doing drinking and driving.

Then when they kill someone it's not their fault.

If they've been caught DUI before, they deserve to be monitored - before they kill an innocent peson, just because "they wanted a coupla beers after work"

ANY alcohol impairs driving - and if you don't think it does, I suggest you look at the stats for fatalities caused by drunks in their cars.

If you think that this is the start of a slippery slope, you're wrong - this is protection of an individuals right NOT to be mown down by some ass who is determined to break the law, and dosn't give a crap about the consequences for other road users or pedestrians.

Now show me some proof of everything that you are alleging "will happen" including proof of concentration camps,proof of spycams looking in bedroom windows or any of the other nonsense you've been spouting as "truth"

If any of it was really happenning, I'd be the first to shout about it - but it's NOT.

this stuff technology isn't new it's been in Australia, Tasmania for 3 years now and its only in a few cop cars.

I've seen these on police cars in DC before...was wondering what the hell they were.

Originally posted by budski
Then when they kill someone it's not their fault.

If they've been caught DUI before, they deserve to be monitored - before they kill an innocent peson, just because "they wanted a coupla beers after work"

I agree...*they* should be monitored...not me. Put a breathalizer in their cars like some already have. Just because something is passed off to the public as a solution doesn't mean it's the *only* solution or the *best*.