Don't Try Driving On The Ohio Turnpike In A Stolen Car
from the or,-um,-change-the-plates-first dept
Beck writes "The Ohio State Highway Patrol reports that they tested a license plate scanning system on the Ohio Turnpike last summer. The system scanned the plates of cars entering the Turnpike, and alerted the Patrol when it detected a car that was reported stolen, or was owned by a wanted fugitive. Troopers were then able to locate the car and pull it over. They say that the system identified 24 stolen cars during the test. The Highway Patrol says that the scanners only looked at lists of stolen cars and fugitives and did not access BMV records, nor did they retain a record of scanned plates." Of course, not everyone is thrilled with this, and some are saying it's an invasion of privacy (though, you can easily argue that if you're driving on a public road, it's hard to see how your license plate is "private.") Meanwhile, car thieves everywhere will quickly adjust and do fairly simple things like (a) skip the turnpike and (b) change their license plates. Then, suddenly, this system doesn't make as much sense.
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No Subject Given
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Changing Plates
As for criminals changing the plates on stolen cars, all the state has to do is adjust the system to also identify the make and model of the car and check BMV records to ensure the plates match the registration. Yes, it requires checking the BMV records that they say they currently don't do, but I don't have a problem with that.
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Re: Changing Plates
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Re: Changing Plates
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Re: Changing Plates
But would they store that information. That is the line I personally wouldn't want them to cross.
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Re: Changing Plates
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Re: Changing Plates
His reply was that to do so would be a violation of your 4th ammendment right to improper searches. He said it's the same reason they can't sit in their cars with their radar guns on 24/7, they have to believe you are speeding before they can clock you.
Once you let the government start a system like this, how long until it does hook into the DMV database? How long until it stores all the information in a database so they can track where everyone was at?
I'm not the tinfoil-hat type, but this sort of thing is a slippery slope that it's best we stay away from.
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Thanks Big Brother
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Re: Thanks Big Brother
It's so easy to bash others who have so called "Big Brother" solutions.
How about showing some intelligence by offering an alternative.
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Cops & Freedom
And what about DUI checkpoints? I personally believe they are a clear violation of the 4th amendment. Requiring everybody (or every nth car) to stop to basically check if they've been drinking without probable cause that they have been (seeing them weaving or driving dangerously) seems blatantly illegal. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court disagrees with me.
I have no problems with police watching public areas 24/7. Protecting our safety is their mission. It's when they starting tracking our lives or truly invading our privacy that I draw the line.
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Re: Cops & Freedom
Ever try calling for an officer to check out a possible drunk driver,Yah Right. Never happens, they might have to leave a scene where someone was spitting on the sidwalk.
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Canada, Toronto city police
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No Subject Given
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stollen cars on turnpike
Good job, do it again and don't stop
Don't let the beurocrats stop you just because they think the criminals have more rights.
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