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License Plate reading cameras

Thats a tough call...but I think as relates specifically to the operation of the motor vehicle it should be covered. But if they are doing deep dives and background checks and responding to ANYTHING they find, I think it would be hard to prove probable cause and it would be an overstepping of powers.
 
Thats a tough call...but I think as relates specifically to the operation of the motor vehicle it should be covered. But if they are doing deep dives and background checks and responding to ANYTHING they find, I think it would be hard to prove probable cause and it would be an overstepping of powers.

I have seen in the UK how ANPR vans were parked at strategic points and only if they found information about missing MOT, no insurance, no drivers license, stolen cars or known drug transport vehicles, then they would signal a police car positioned a bit further along to put the driver on the side of the road to indeed check if they were qualified, insured, safe, etc. .

And from what I have understood, the police in the UK know the plate numbers of known drug mule vehicles. From what I understood a group of people (not always the same one, but all from that group) would be driving to a bigger city to deliver or pick up drugs. That is why they are signaled into the system.

I have no issue with disqualified drivers/stolen vehicles/uninsured vehicles to be stopped and checked.
 
Have you by any chance seen some flying pigs out there? Anywhere? Because I actually agree with you. I think ANPR devices (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) devices are awesome bit of technology to find disqualified drivers, find uninsured drivers, find stolen cars, find stolen plates and catch come criminals too.

Stingray devices do all that too. Do you support them?
 
Stingray devices do all that too. Do you support them?

You did read that I was purely talking about an ANPR device? It is just scanning number plates, it encroaches on nobody while these people are driving on the open road.
 
You did read that I was purely talking about an ANPR device? It is just scanning number plates, it encroaches on nobody while these people are driving on the open road.

Yes I did know that. Your statement was accurate and thought-provoking. Thus I was curious about your thoughts about Stingray.
 
Yes I did know that. Your statement was accurate and thought-provoking. Thus I was curious about your thoughts about Stingray.

listening to people without their knowledge while they are making private conversations goes way too far without a warrant.
 
And the records being searched are public records.

Since when are DMV records public?

Every state has privacy laws in place so people cannot get your information from your plate.
 
Since when are DMV records public?

Every state has privacy laws in place so people cannot get your information from your plate.

Any police officer can call in any tag at any time and get its information. This system allows machines owned by the police to do the same. What's the difference?
 
So is the address on my house, does that give them the right to search it?

As we learned from Snowden, they don't need authority to search it. They just vacuum it up and store it on a computer in Utah.
 
Have you by any chance seen some flying pigs out there? Anywhere? Because I actually agree with you. I think ANPR devices (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) devices are awesome bit of technology to find disqualified drivers, find uninsured drivers, find stolen cars, find stolen plates and catch come criminals too.

With the appropriate database my cameras on my home and business could do facial recognition and plate number reader. Its becoming quite wide spread.
 
I love that cops can find out who is driving a car at a glance. Suspended license....busted. Five DUI, give the guy a tail to see if he swerves. Felon with a drug history? "Let's follow him to see where he goes." Habitual sex offender? Ditto.

Perfect.
 
Any police officer can call in any tag at any time and get its information. This system allows machines owned by the police to do the same. What's the difference?

The difference would be the officer would have a reason to ask for the information, probable cause, and the machine does it automatically.

To me there is a huge difference. Of course when you have the computer running hundreds of plates per day, he is going to come across some owners that might have had problems with the law before and the officer will use that to pull them over and harass them. If somebody is on parole or probation, they have to consent to being searched if the officer so desires.

I don't think that is OK.
 
I love that cops can find out who is driving a car at a glance. Suspended license....busted. Five DUI, give the guy a tail to see if he swerves. Felon with a drug history? "Let's follow him to see where he goes." Habitual sex offender? Ditto.

Perfect.

The problem is, like I stated above, the officer can see who is on parole or probation or had been in the past and harass them even if they did nothing wrong.

I don't think that is OK.
 
The difference would be the officer would have a reason to ask for the information, probable cause, and the machine does it automatically.

To me there is a huge difference. Of course when you have the computer running hundreds of plates per day, he is going to come across some owners that might have had problems with the law before and the officer will use that to pull them over and harass them. If somebody is on parole or probation, they have to consent to being searched if the officer so desires.

I don't think that is OK.

I understand your point regarding probable cause, and could easily agree, but the fact is that all this is taking place in public, not the privacy of one's home.

The information is essentially public record, rather as we had back when phone books were common, complete with name, address and phone number. People driving in public are not accorded the same legal protection as they are when inside their homes.
 
Since when are DMV records public?

Every state has privacy laws in place so people cannot get your information from your plate.

Depends on the state to what information from the DMV is considered available to the public, but generally speaking...DMV records have been pubic for some time now.
 
So is the address on my house, does that give them the right to search it?

What are they "searching" when the scanner reads your license plate number?
 
What is your opinion on cameras mounted on police cars that read plates and automatically do a search?

Is it a warrantless search?

You dont need a warrant to search. Anyway its not a search its simply a stop based on probable cause. These cameras have been around a long time.

I think facial recognition is next. Certainly in airports and such tho in the public way the concept bothers me. There has to be a thresh hold on triggering an alert like a "crime of violence" but if I know Govt. they would like to use it as an AI tax collector for parking fines and such.
 
What are they "searching" when the scanner reads your license plate number?

The plate number is run through the Federal NCIC database and a State database, if one exists. Results usually come back in less than 5 seconds.

NCIC - National Crime Information Center - Wikipedia

The system(s) search the DB's for "wants and warrants" against the car and the car owner.

So, if you have no car insurance, the system will inform the officer of such; same if you (vehicle owner) are wanted for a crime (i.e., there is a warrant out for your arrest).

Before these scanners, police officers had to type the license plate number and state into the car's computer and wait for a reply (or contact dispatch via radio).

The police car plate scanners allow nearly every car the officer passes to be checked.
 
The plate number is run through the Federal NCIC database and a State database, if one exists. Results usually come back in less than 5 seconds.

NCIC - National Crime Information Center - Wikipedia

The system(s) search the DB's for "wants and warrants" against the car and the car owner.

So, if you have no car insurance, the system will inform the officer of such; same if you (vehicle owner) are wanted for a crime (i.e., there is a warrant out for your arrest).

Before these scanners, police officers had to type the license plate number and state into the car's computer and wait for a reply (or contact dispatch via radio).

The police car plate scanners allow nearly every car the officer passes to be checked.

I probably saw the first plate reader 20 years ago, maybe longer. Most guys, and we only had a few, turned them off because in the 'hoods I worked we'd give "good citizen awards" for people who had valid DLs and insurance. If you wrote up everyone without insurance you'd never take a pen out of your hand, welcome to illegal immigration safe zone city's. Besides having the cams is one thing, having the proper license plates is another. It takes a long time for a state to issues proper Lic. plates and anyway every other ghetto mobile has Temp. plates anyway. Even if you do catch a guy with a hot car or a warrant all they have to do is step on the gas anyway because car chases aren't allowed.

In my day an entire unit might have one car with a plate reader. I personally never had one, or worked in one, because they always gave them to the ticket writers and I specialized more in killers, armed robbers, felons of every kind...ect. I saw ticket writing, 90% of it, as just another way of the city screwing the working guy. A gangster or various criminal doesn't give a damn about a traffic ticket because he'll I-bond right out and no judge is going to hold him in Jail just for traffic so even with a warrant its one night in jail until they see a judge and they can do that standing on their head.

Out there in America its more legit. I assume.
 
The plate number is run through the Federal NCIC database and a State database, if one exists. Results usually come back in less than 5 seconds.

NCIC - National Crime Information Center - Wikipedia

The system(s) search the DB's for "wants and warrants" against the car and the car owner.

So, if you have no car insurance, the system will inform the officer of such; same if you (vehicle owner) are wanted for a crime (i.e., there is a warrant out for your arrest).

Before these scanners, police officers had to type the license plate number and state into the car's computer and wait for a reply (or contact dispatch via radio).

The police car plate scanners allow nearly every car the officer passes to be checked.

I understand all that. I live in an area where they are used.

The point was that they are not searching you... they already have access to the information.
 
One of the greatest failures by omission in the Bill Of Rights is lack of any right to privacy.
 
What is your opinion on cameras mounted on police cars that read plates and automatically do a search?

Is it a warrantless search?

No, it is not a warrantless search.

Before the cameras, cops used to type in license plates en masse into their computers or call them into radio dispatch and obtain the same information. I'm sure that the US Supreme Court has ruled on this at some point.

EDIT: In fact, here is a case from 2017 - NY Court of Appeals upheld an officer's right to enter a license plate in his computer for no reason whatsoever - People v. Bushey :: 2017 :: New York Court of Appeals Decisions :: New York Case Law :: New York Law :: US Law :: Justia
 
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I dont even like camera's in the public way actually. Very few crimes are solved with them and even if you do get a suspect the chances of a victim showing up is low. The Frenchman Juicy Smollet' is pretty typical. We had a brother execute two harmless Jews months ago, one guy was in his '70s and walking his dog, another was a young Gay Jewish kid just going about his business not harming anyone and this POS killed both with one shot to the head. It was during a Police trial where they were rail roading a white cop for killed a black kid who came at him with a knife.

Even tho he wore a mask it was daylight and we had very good pics of him from cams with his distinctive way of walking. It was all over the news and the gun later turned up in some gangster shooting, theres no way you can tell me nobody could tell who this guy was. The case is still unsolved.

Govt. has no business knowing our business. Whatever they say the plus's to public safety these things bring its a lot less then the reality. 5% of the nation, with their criminal shenanigans and a broken <woke> justice system has no business intruding on the privacy of the rest of us. The worst crimes are usually preceded by an incompetent , politicized, corrupt criminal justice system screwing up yet again and failing to prevent. 09/11/2001 and ParkLand are two of my biggest examples.

I'll never forget or forgive that screwball Sheriff Izzie on that set up CNN clown show blaming the NRA when he already had facts in hand about how that Dept. of his screwed up with that kid dozens of times, for a public that elected that idiot in the first place. For 9/11 google "Phoenix Memo".
 
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