Automated license plate readers in the Detroit area

**pumphandle** · January-23-19, 02:55 PM

The Metro Times ran a story about automated license plate readers today.

Grosse Ile uses cameras to track vehicle locations — and it's not alone

What do you think about these? Are they too invasive, or a useful tool, or both?

**Meddle** · January-23-19, 04:12 PM

Should be outlawed.

**Uncledave54** · January-23-19, 04:29 PM

Smacks of Big Brother.

**One Shot** · January-23-19, 08:07 PM

They will be pulling over 80% of Detroiters! I don’t mind since I’m a law abiding citizen. But I’m also not a fan of big brother. This just makes cops even more lazy. Driving around Detroit as it is there are so many cops parked doing basically nothing-Texting/staring off into oblivion. How about marijuana sniffers on their front bumpers? EVERY day tons of people blazing down the road.

**Bigb23** · January-24-19, 05:07 AM

Read an article a few years ago in Popular Science/Mechanics about these.
Tow trucks usually have these for repo purposes, but they get all of our plates with time, date, GPS coordinates, maps and so on into a massive database.

Then to sweep what's left, they send out sub compact cars with the same readers into mall, industrial, and professional parking lots. All info is for sale.

We finally beat the East German Stazi !

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-24-19, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by Uncledave54

Smacks of Big Brother.

Agree 100%

**O3H** · January-24-19, 11:31 AM

Been around for years - We are playing catch up with the rest of society

**Bigb23** · January-24-19, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by O3H

Been around for years - We are playing catch up with the rest of society

The Communist Chinese have everybody covered.

This is England.
Attachment 37419

**Meddle** · January-24-19, 01:19 PM

Sounds like a statewide referendum in the making --- abolish them.

**iheartthed** · January-24-19, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by O3H

Been around for years - We are playing catch up with the rest of society

Yeah, seriously. The NYPD has been reading the license plate of every vehicle that enters Manhattan for years.

**Richard** · January-24-19, 02:27 PM

Yet millions of Americans have invited Alexia and smart TVs into their homes that,unless unplugged,can monitor and record everything one says or does.

One can say that they are not doing anything wrong so it does not bother them but it does not stop and anything can be used against somebody innocent or not,in the wrong hands.

**iheartthed** · January-24-19, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Uncledave54

Smacks of Big Brother.

The literal purpose of a license plate is to identify a car. License plate readers are just an electronic way of using license plates exactly how they were intended to be used.

**Ray1936** · January-24-19, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

The literal purpose of a license plate is to identify a car. License plate readers are just an electronic way of using license plates exactly how they were intended to be used.

Yup, no problem. If it REALLY bothers you, well, just drive your car with no license plates.

**Lowell** · January-24-19, 06:37 PM

Sorry to say but that cat's out of the bag so long it's become a skunk--but a cuddly one.

We had a thread a few years back where I mentioned how 12 Mile & Orchard Lake [then one of the highest accident sites in the state] had something like 12 cameras even though it had no street lights. Cameras are everywhere, with increasingly higher resolution and ever more embedded into big data networks.

And we all [90%] carry around those little tattle-tale smartphones that track our locations. We spread our drips of data all over the place. Big Brother, it turns out, did not arrive as a jack-booted Stalin; it came as a sexy tech seductress.

**Meddle** · January-24-19, 06:37 PM

It's one thing for an officer to visually observe a vehicle that catches their attention for some reason and make a conscious choice to run to the plate.

It's quite another for an automated system to record every plate on every vehicle in the range of view and record time, date and location without reason.

**O3H** · January-24-19, 08:49 PM

""""The Reason"""" is enforcement of the law.
So many people want MORE police.
Catch the ones that are not willing to comply to societal norms

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-25-19, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

It's one thing for an officer to visually observe a vehicle that catches their attention for some reason and make a conscious choice to run to the plate.

It's quite another for an automated system to record every plate on every vehicle in the range of view and record time, date and location without reason.

Very true. Everybody is a suspect, even if you aren't.

**JBMcB** · January-25-19, 03:45 PM

The underlying problem with these things is that, in general, the police are lazy.

Let's say you happen to be driving by an area where a crime has occurred, and your car was picked up by a scanner. The police have no leads, so, all of a sudden, you are under suspicion for some random crime you had nothing to do with. So what were you doing in that neighborhood? Driving to work? Can anyone vouch for you? Maybe you just broke into some random strangers house for fun? Whomever has the weakest alibi is now on the hook.

Remember this - the police don't look for someone who likely committed a crime. They look for whomever they can gather the most evidence for. Even if it's just a license plate scan and some circumstantial evidence, that's enough for you to have to hire an attorney.

**ABetterDetroit** · January-25-19, 04:36 PM

I see it as highly valuable law enforcement tool.

I get very angry when 3 year olds are getting shot to death on the Southfield Freeway like what happen yesterday. This is not normal in a first world nation.

This technology is a violent crime fighting game changer and the only thing I care about is how fast we can implement it here.

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...it/2678082002/

**O3H** · January-25-19, 07:56 PM

People just have to keep a current license, and a tab , to stay out of trouble
Not a ton of personal responsibility in a modern society of technology.
Too much commotion over nothing

**abraham** · January-29-19, 07:29 AM

Any re register your car every year cuz they cant keep track of paper work. WAY to invasive but there are already cameras all over. Not sure how we allowed that to happen but yea, way to invasive. Plus its a highly valuable law enforcement tool, which really makes me not want them. Why help the man when they are only out to hurt people.

**abraham** · January-29-19, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

The underlying problem with these things is that, in general, the police are lazy.

Let's say you happen to be driving by an area where a crime has occurred, and your car was picked up by a scanner. The police have no leads, so, all of a sudden, you are under suspicion for some random crime you had nothing to do with. So what were you doing in that neighborhood? Driving to work? Can anyone vouch for you? Maybe you just broke into some random strangers house for fun? Whomever has the weakest alibi is now on the hook.

Remember this - the police don't look for someone who likely committed a crime. They look for whomever they can gather the most evidence for. Even if it's just a license plate scan and some circumstantial evidence, that's enough for you to have to hire an attorney.

Pretty close except its alot worse than that. I have been asking friends and family and co workers for years if they ever had a cop help them. No is always the answer. I've had them ruin my day and take my money lots though. Tons of stuff going on but let me just sit here on the side of the road looking to give someone a ticket. We are light years away from "protect and serve" Dont even get me started on the cops and the military. Oh yea, license plate readers. Yea, no.

**abraham** · January-29-19, 07:46 AM

Originally Posted by O3H

""""The Reason"""" is enforcement of the law.
So many people want MORE police.
Catch the ones that are not willing to comply to societal norms

Not sure the crowd you run in but I dont think many people want MORE police. Less the better, and start with them on gun control. They are the biggest abusers. Just my opinion but I know alot of people out there agree with me. I've had the conversation many times in more reasonable, less flame/hater filled forums and in real life. Its probably about 50/50 I would guess. I suppose alot of people want more police, but alot of people want less or no police also.

**Jimaz** · January-29-19, 08:19 AM

Whenever I hear about an automated anything I can't help wondering how to mess with its head.

Of course you have to have your normal license plate but is it illegal to plaster imitation license plate images with random numbers all over your car? Or on billboards? Hmmm.

If it ain't broken, you're not trying hard enough.