license plate scanning

[Tiamat]

Where did that thread go that discussed this? I couldn't find it. Anyway, it can be continued here:


http://www.mailtribune.com/


By Chris Conrad
Mail Tribune

The Medford Police Department will continue to use license-plate readers mounted on patrol cars despite the concerns of civil rights advocates nationally who say the technology is a disturbing invasion of privacy.

While some cities reportedly share information from license-plate scanners with federal agencies, including the National Security Agency, Medford police say their cameras are used only to find stolen cars and wanted suspects, and are not used to spy.

"We do not share any of our information with the feds," said Medford police Deputy Chief Randy Sparacino. "We have our own database that is completely purged every 90 days."

But civil rights and privacy advocates say the scanners are part of a troubling trend. "We are starting to move toward this collect-it-all mentality by law enforcement," said Becky Strauss, the legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon. "It starts to really flip the presumption that our criminal justice system is built upon, that you're innocent until proven guilty."

The ACLU is working with state lawmakers on legislation that would limit the amount of data the license-plate cameras can collect and store.

Of particular concern to many civil rights advocates is a recent Associated Press story that revealed that law enforcement agencies across the country are sharing the data gathered by the license-plate readers and funneling it into a federal database.

Strauss said the problem with the technology is its passivity. The cameras remain on at all times and read every license plate that passes by the patrol car.

"It's troubling because it allows law enforcement to follow the comings and goings of innocent people," Strauss said. "If they wanted, they can track your movements to and from work and to what political events you attend or even which church you attend."

Medford police deploy two patrol cars fitted with the cameras. The cars roll through the streets capturing an image of each license plate they encounter, and the plate is immediately scanned to see whether the car has been stolen or has been connected to any sort of crime.

If a plate "hits" as a stolen car, the screen flashes with the information surrounding the potential crime. The officer will then follow the car and pull it over, Sparacino said.

"But before we can pull over a car that hits, we have to have probable cause," Sparacino said. "This means the officer has to actually run the plate and see if the information gathered from the camera is accurate."

Sparacino said the technology is used sparingly and only to find wanted subjects and stolen cars. It is not used to find suspended drivers or to track random motorists.
It can be used in situations such as bank robberies if a witness is able to get the license plate number of the getaway car. If the car passes by the camera, it will alert the officer that the suspect car is nearby.

The ACLU is lobbying lawmakers to place strict limitations on how the police can collect license-plate data and how long it can be stored.

[bbqboy]

Sounds like a google streetview car for cops. And why would we believe anything the police say?

[Tiamat]

Sounds like a google streetview car for cops. And why would we believe anything the police say?

I don't.

[PonderThis]

And why would we believe anything the police say?

The ones we pay to boss us around?

[tvguy]

I saw the article about the new license plate scanners.They are nothing new at all.

Guess what all of you conspiracy theorist cop hating malcontent whack jobs out there..

They SCAN license plates That's all, someone knows where you car goes.. OH the horror of it all

I thought it was STUPID to have to say in the article in BOLD print right under the headlines.....

Medford Police say license plate readers don't invade privacy and no information is shared by feds

Hellllooo all you aluminum foil hat wearing black helicopter scarede cats.... they have been able to gain the same freaking information for ever, this just does it FASTER.

Of particular concern to many civil rights advocates is a recent Associated Press story that revealed that law enforcement agencies across the country are sharing the data gathered by the license-plate readers and funneling it into a federal database.


Sounds to me like an excellent way for law enforcement to locate criminals.. you know the kind of people that you SHOULD ACTUALLY be worried about!

[tvguy]

And why would we believe anything the police say?

The ones we pay to boss us around?

Hmmm. I'm trying to think of the last time a cop bossed me around?? Other than getting a ticket I deserved a couple of times. I can't think of it happening one single time in at least 20 years.
Maybe you should take your "kick me you stinking pig sign" of the back of your dirty tie dyed shirt.

[Tiamat]

I saw the article about the new license plate scanners.They are nothing new at all.

Guess what all of you conspiracy theorist cop hating malcontent whack jobs out there..

They SCAN license plates That's all, someone knows where you car goes.. OH the horror of it all

I thought it was STUPID to have to say in the article in BOLD print right under the headlines.....

Medford Police say license plate readers don't invade privacy and no information is shared by feds

Hellllooo all you aluminum foil hat wearing black helicopter scarede cats.... they have been able to gain the same freaking information for ever, this just does it FASTER.

Of particular concern to many civil rights advocates is a recent Associated Press story that revealed that law enforcement agencies across the country are sharing the data gathered by the license-plate readers and funneling it into a federal database.


Sounds to me like an excellent way for law enforcement to locate criminals.. you know the kind of people that you SHOULD ACTUALLY be worried about!

You and Larry do the same thing. You come in saying "all YOU" referring to certain people on the board. Now, where in this thread do you see anything from us to support your above theory.

[Tiamat]

And why would we believe anything the police say?

The ones we pay to boss us around?

Hmmm. I'm trying to think of the last time a cop bossed me around?? Other than getting a ticket I deserved a couple of times. I can't think of it happening one single time in at least 20 years.
Maybe you should take your "kick me you stinking pig sign" of the back of your dirty tie dyed shirt.

Actually, I don't find cops to be too bossy, what I find is that cops don't listen. I've had enough experiences with police to know that they usually don't listen to what the situation is, and then deal with it inappropriately because they failed to listen in the first place.

[Tiamat]

I know, TV that you (and others) like to call it tin foil hat wearing paranoia, but you fail to give credence to the real concern. The real concern for people like me who post this stuff, is the slow erosion of privacy. Sure, I go online. I don't have to. If I was paranoid I wouldn't want someone potentially getting hold of my info or thoughts. My phone tracks me too. It's just the general idea of it that is offensive. We are constantly being photographed, tracked, surveilled. It's just a giving up of our privacy, bit by bit. Reassuring ourselves that this how the 'bad guys' will get caught, is just the pablum we feed ourselves to make ourselves feel better about losing our privacy. We are eventually all being watched, and that data being stored . Especially online. This is what a surveillance state looks like, and we accept it bit by bit with attitudes like yours. And as we give away our privacy, we give the government the capability, and the means to watch us, collect information on us, track us, all without a warrant. That probably sounds hysterical to you, but all I'm saying is that I don't like it.

[PonderThis]

What is commonplace in the U.S. today is like the worst of the communist countries I grew up reading about in Readers Digest. We have become that enemy ourselves.

[tvguy]

You and Larry do the same thing. You come in saying "all YOU" referring to certain people on the board. Now, where in this thread do you see anything from us to support your above theory.

How about this from BBQ that implies that the scanner does MORE than the police say why would we believe anything the police say?

And then you respond by saying you "DON'T" believe anything the police say.

followed by Ponders saying we pay the police to "boss us around'

[tvguy]

I know, TV that you (and others) like to call it tin foil hat wearing paranoia, but you fail to give credence to the real concern. The real concern for people like me who post this stuff, is the slow erosion of privacy. Sure, I go online. I don't have to. If I was paranoid I wouldn't want someone potentially getting hold of my info or thoughts. My phone tracks me too. It's just the general idea of it that is offensive. We are constantly being photographed, tracked, surveilled. It's just a giving up of our privacy, bit by bit. Reassuring ourselves that this how the 'bad guys' will get caught, is just the pablum we feed ourselves to make ourselves feel better about losing our privacy. We are eventually all being watched, and that data being stored . Especially online. This is what a surveillance state looks like, and we accept it bit by bit with attitudes like yours. And as we give away our privacy, we give the government the capability, and the means to watch us, collect information on us, track us, all without a warrant. That probably sounds hysterical to you, but all I'm saying is that I don't like it.

It's the new age of technology Tia. You actually think I don't understand the concerns? I do.
But when the article you posted has to explain in bold letters that the scanners don't invade privacy I find that ridiculous to need to be said.

The police have been able to access the same damn info for decades and now they have a tool to do it faster. And suddenly because of all the PARANOID people they have to EXPLAIN??
Whatever, IMO it's stupid. You aren't going to stop it anyway. People bitch about the police using surveillance cameras and those damn things have been on store fronts and all kinds of places for YEARS. And the police have asked and been given the videos taken by citizens and solved tens of thousands of crimes.

Another thing on top of the stupidity list is bitching about traffic cameras. they do the same thing Police do ONLY BETTER.
They put a stop to the jagoffs at intersections in the left turn lane who USED to think they would make it as long as the guy in front made it.

They post a sign for ALL TO SEE when they photograph speeders and people still bitch??

[tvguy]

What is commonplace in the U.S. today is like the worst of the communist countries I grew up reading about in Readers Digest. We have become that enemy ourselves.

Thanks for the perfect example of who and what I'm talking about.

[PonderThis]

You got your papers? I took my buddy to my bank to get his application for his birth certificate notarized, so he could get his drivers license back. Being as how the Secretary of State wrote me saying he could use me as a credible witness under oath, and the bank knows me. The bank notary told me no, she "didn't feel comfortable doing that." The guys sister is having the same issues he is getting identification.

We didn't used to have to go through any of this.

[tvguy]

You got your papers? I took my buddy to my bank to get his application for his birth certificate notarized, so he could get his drivers license back. Being as how the Secretary of State wrote me saying he could use me as a credible witness under oath, and the bank knows me. The bank notary told me no, she "didn't feel comfortable doing that." The guys sister is having the same issues he is getting identification.

We didn't used to have to go through any of this.

No, not Not until millions of illegals flooded in to this country and were getting drivers licenses.

[tvguy]

You got your papers? I took my buddy to my bank to get his application for his birth certificate notarized, so he could get his drivers license back. Being as how the Secretary of State wrote me saying he could use me as a credible witness under oath, and the bank knows me. The bank notary told me no, she "didn't feel comfortable doing that." The guys sister is having the same issues he is getting identification.

We didn't used to have to go through any of this.

The guys sister can't just go to HER bank and use their notary?

[PonderThis]

I'm not sure either of these people have bank accounts. I know the one I know doesn't.

[Tiamat]

You and Larry do the same thing. You come in saying "all YOU" referring to certain people on the board. Now, where in this thread do you see anything from us to support your above theory.

How about this from BBQ that implies that the scanner does MORE than the police say why would we believe anything the police say?

And then you respond by saying you "DON'T" believe anything the police say.

followed by Ponders saying we pay the police to "boss us around'

I don't think it matches the picture of hysterical, foil wearing hat freaks by a long shot. But, if you do think it matches, I think that's incredibly narrow minded.

[Tiamat]

I know, TV that you (and others) like to call it tin foil hat wearing paranoia, but you fail to give credence to the real concern. The real concern for people like me who post this stuff, is the slow erosion of privacy. Sure, I go online. I don't have to. If I was paranoid I wouldn't want someone potentially getting hold of my info or thoughts. My phone tracks me too. It's just the general idea of it that is offensive. We are constantly being photographed, tracked, surveilled. It's just a giving up of our privacy, bit by bit. Reassuring ourselves that this how the 'bad guys' will get caught, is just the pablum we feed ourselves to make ourselves feel better about losing our privacy. We are eventually all being watched, and that data being stored . Especially online. This is what a surveillance state looks like, and we accept it bit by bit with attitudes like yours. And as we give away our privacy, we give the government the capability, and the means to watch us, collect information on us, track us, all without a warrant. That probably sounds hysterical to you, but all I'm saying is that I don't like it.

It's the new age of technology Tia. You actually think I don't understand the concerns? I do.
But when the article you posted has to explain in bold letters that the scanners don't invade privacy I find that ridiculous to need to be said.

The police have been able to access the same damn info for decades and now they have a tool to do it faster. And suddenly because of all the PARANOID people they have to EXPLAIN??
Whatever, IMO it's stupid. You aren't going to stop it anyway. People bitch about the police using surveillance cameras and those damn things have been on store fronts and all kinds of places for YEARS. And the police have asked and been given the videos taken by citizens and solved tens of thousands of crimes.

Another thing on top of the stupidity list is bitching about traffic cameras. they do the same thing Police do ONLY BETTER.
They put a stop to the jagoffs at intersections in the left turn lane who USED to think they would make it as long as the guy in front made it.

They post a sign for ALL TO SEE when they photograph speeders and people still bitch??

Then you still don't get it. It's not that we had some form of technology before that did it and now we have one to do it faster. It's that we have one to do it more. To more people. Basically all the time. You see this is as better crime control. I see this as more invasion and more asking that I just accept it. I don't care about the bolding. I didn't bold the text. I'm just posting the article. Oh, and that sign for all to see? I'm seeing it less and less. I think they are trying to make it less obvious. And they don't have to post for license plate scans apparently.

[tvguy]

You and Larry do the same thing. You come in saying "all YOU" referring to certain people on the board. Now, where in this thread do you see anything from us to support your above theory.

How about this from BBQ that implies that the scanner does MORE than the police say why would we believe anything the police say?

And then you respond by saying you "DON'T" believe anything the police say.

followed by Ponders saying we pay the police to "boss us around'

I don't think it matches the picture of hysterical, foil wearing hat freaks by a long shot. But, if you do think it matches, I think that's incredibly narrow minded.

Well I tend to exaggerate and I wasn't meaning only the people here when I used Larry's "you guys" term but it does indeed fit Ponder.

I guess that stuff like this is just ONE of a never ending bitch fest about the country or cops that I get sick and f*****g tired of hearing... not from you