License plate scanners

[zahc]

Many people aren't aware of it, but the latest LEO toy is automatic license plate scanners that can read license plates from a distance and in motion. I guess DC now has a whole network of these things to the point that they can basically enter a license plate number and track it (you) around, or see where you have gone the past ten days, etc. That is, assuming your enemy didn't tape a clone license plate to their car and drive around to set you up.

License plate readers can capture numbers across four lanes of traffic on cars zooming up to 150 mph.

“The new technology makes our job a lot easier and the bad guys’ job a lot harder,” said D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

Having the technology during the Washington area sniper shootings in 2002 might have stopped the attacks sooner, detectives said, because police could have checked whether any particular car was showing up at each of the shooting sites.

“If you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re not driving a stolen car, you’re not committing a crime,” Alessi said, “then you don’t have anything to worry about.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/license-plate-readers-a-useful-tool-for-police-comes-with-privacy-concerns/2011/11/18/gIQAuEApcN_print.html


discuss.

[kgbsquirrel]

While I would normally immediately espouse the view of free use of cameras and what not on public thoroughfares, I do have to say that anything being justified with any variation of the phrase "...if you've nothing to hide..." immediately puts me on edge with a strong desire to start checking behind curtains to see exactly who is pushing the concept and with what ulterior motives.

“If you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re not driving a stolen car, you’re not committing a crime,” Alessi said, “then you don’t have anything to worry about.”

[bedlamite]

Been around for quite a while.

http://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2006/05/disquietude-part-1.html
http://thelawdogfiles.blogspot.com/2006/05/disquietude-part-2-references.html

[Fly320s]

The question I have is, "Why is this information being stored?"

On a similar note, when a cop pulls over a person for a moving violation is that data kept?  It probably varies by agency.

[Grebnaws]

The last issue of Car and Driver has an article on license plate scanners. According to that article records have already been kept and used to provide witness. The scanner reads everything it sees and keeps a record of the whereabouts of that license plate at the time of scanning which can then be used for/against you.

[Jamisjockey]

The real question is why are we subjected to a system that can be tracked at all?
The requirement that we license and register all of our vehicles? Not much we can do about it when we let them grant us "priveledges".....
 

[HankB]

. . . That is, assuming your enemy didn't tape a clone license plate to their car and drive around to set you up. 

I remember seeing somewhere on the 'net that they had just that problem somewhere with red light cameras - seems some local teens were taping printed license plates over their own with the numbers of teens and teachers they didn't like and zooming through red lights late at night. (Also unmarked police cars and private police vehicle numbers they snagged from the lot at the local police station.)

Much hilarity ensued.

[AJ Dual]

The real question is why are we subjected to a system that can be tracked at all?
The requirement that we license and register all of our vehicles? Not much we can do about it when we let them grant us "priveledges".....
 

True, although it's a lot harder to articulate 4th Amendment problems with such systems when they only scan that which is plainly visible in public spaces.

[Fly320s]

True, although it's a lot harder to articulate 4th Amendment problems with such systems when they only scan that which is plainly visible in public spaces.

The plates are plainly visible, the personal data is not.

[CNYCacher]

No reason at all why the data couldn't be encrypted and queryable anonymously.  If you have a specific thing you are looking for, and you think you find it in the data, then get a warrant to find out who you are looking at.

For example the DC sniper.  Fine example, that.  You query the database for vehicles that were seen in all the locations of the shootings.  The system reports a match and you take that to the judge to ask for the person's info to be revealed.

Of course, that isn't how it's being used.

This system has been in place in a city which employs a good friend of mine as a patrol officer.  I am told that the system keeps records indefinitely, and that the first thing it was used for when it went online was other officers checking up on where and when their wives had been spotted.   

[MicroBalrog]

True, although it's a lot harder to articulate 4th Amendment problems with such systems when they only scan that which is plainly visible in public spaces.

PErhaps America could follow Germany's lead and limit police tracking/following of citizens.