Automatic License Plate Readers, ALPR coming to a P.D. near you. Options

[gandalf_025]

A while back,after passing through a local speed trap.. I had
a local cop pull me over. I knew I hadn't been speeding and
I had my seat belt on.. So I had no idea what he wanted ?

He walked up to my door and asked for me by name..
Which surprised me a little. I said yeah, that's me.
Then he told me I was driving with an expired Drivers License.

I told him that was ridiculous.. Then remembered my birthday had
been the month before and sure enough license expired on my birthday.
Massachusetts doesn't send renewal forms in the mail anymore..

I asked him how he knew my license was expired and he told me his cruiser
has automatic license plate reader computers on board and
flagged my truck as I drove by.
The system runs in the background and while he is playing with the radar,
the car runs every plate that passes by in both directions and alerts him to
anything interesting it finds in real time.

He was nice enough.. and I was lucky my wife was with me and her license was OK.
He made her get in the drivers seat after checking her license
and the registration and let me go home.
He said that if I had been alone he would have had to tow the
truck and leave me standing on the side of the road.

That's technology for you

link to info..

https://www.privacysos.org/technologies_of_control/ALPR

[somd914]

Maryland has had numerous bills in front of the State House over the years to do away with front license plates - between the police and plate recognition at toll booths (though they scan front and rear), the bills keep losing...

There have also been proposals on Capital Hill to mandate GPS trackers in new cars that would store data for X number of days. So far none of these have passed, but it's only a matter of time.