APD Playing Big Brother?: License Plate Readers

My complaint isn't so much about the License Plate Readers. On the whole, I think they're a good idea and probably an excellent tool in the arsenal of any police department. What troubles me is that Albuquerque Police Department wants to establish a registry of scanned plates, along with their owner's (owners') names, addresses, and other personal information for "six months". I don't know how many of you remember when the Federal Government, in the Clinton Administration, tried to do the same with the background checks they ran on people buying firearms. They also said they wanted to keep the information for only 6 months. They were barred from doing it because doing so would constitute "gun registration". Well, the information that Albuquerque P.D. wants to keep in its "6 month files" is vehicle registration. That's the job of the State of New Mexico, and Albuquerque P.D. already has access to THAT data base. The only thing is that the State of New Mexico doesn't keep tabs on you of what places you visit, on what day and time, etc. That's invasion of privacy and if an individual did it, he or she would be charged with "Stalking".

Moreover, Albuquerque P.D. has shown not only in 1988, when the Department's Intelligence Unit was found to be keeping dossiers on
people that Albuquerque P.D. considered its enemies, that it has a tendency to gather information on NON-CRIMINALS- a full 59.4% of the people in Albuquerque P.D.'s Intelligence Unit were members of the ACLU, the NAACP, the New Mexico Lawyers' Guild, Community Activists, and other folks Albuquerque P.D. considered "enemies".
(Riggs et al, vs. City of Albuquerque, CIV 88-1141SG, US District Court for the District of New Mexico). In that case, APD (meaning us taxpayers) wound up having to destroy the files, and paying up $95,000+ as a settlement. It was also placed under the supervision of the Los Angeles Police Department (I know, too funny!).

Other reasons I can think of for not keeping the information once it's been found not to be a stolen car are: Most stolen cars wind up in Old Mexico, something that ex-Albuquerque P.D. officers Levi Chavez and Pete Dwyer know for a fact; others are taken to chop shops and wind up as recycled parts in places like repair shops off I40 and 4th Street; a small number are taken by joyriders (those are the ones APD are most likely to find and are often THEIR OWN BAIT CARS). When people commit crimes, they often steal plates to either put on their own cars; use stolen cars; or steal a car and a plate separately. Keeping personal information on non-criminal citizens won't stop this practice and it won't help Albuquerque P.D. The information of VINs and Plate Numbers is already stored at New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division.

Finally, sadly, Albuquerque P.D. regularly produces a bumper crop of sub-par cops, who commit felonies and misdemeanors. Allowing these folks access- oh, yeah- "only two officers will have access to this information"- give me a break. Like former APD Officer, convicted felon, Ahrensfield didn't have access to APD information and APD officers even after he was convicted and branded a felon!
APD officers only maintain a vow of silence when it comes to ratting each other out for felonies and other crimes, not when it comes to passing along information to other officers. Also look at what happened with the APD Evidence Room looting and see who were the only officers to be punished: The standup cops who didn't want to go along with the stealing, CPT Marie Miranda and SGT Cynthia Orr. The thieves got off scott-free. Do you trust Albuquerque P.D. with personal information about you such as where you shop, where you rent dirty movies, which gay bars you go to, which attorneys you patronize, which religion you belong to, etc.?
Why do they need to keep THAT information if you're not a criminal and don't have a stolen car or stolen plates?

I see no reason why that data shouldn't be run thru NCIC immediately and only those that are flagged by it are retained. All others pass through and are immediately gone, no retention.

CornDogz wrote:

I see no reason why that data shouldn't be run thru NCIC immediately and only those that are flagged by it are retained. All others pass through and are immediately gone, no retention.

If they haven't already done that then there is no reason for them having the data to begin with. Just random data gathering? Doesn't seem like it. Oh well, surveillance cameras will proliferate and then we can run all the faces through the national data bank and flag those that show up on their "no fly" list.

Willothewisp wrote:

<quoted text>
If they haven't already done that then there is no reason for them having the data to begin with. Just random data gathering? Doesn't seem like it. Oh well, surveillance cameras will proliferate and then we can run all the faces through the national data bank and flag those that show up on their "no fly" list.

Same thing with using facial recognition technology. No match for "legitimate" reasons then no retention of the image or associated data.

Minority Report?

And once again it seems to be random. Is there just cause. Seems that the "legitimate" reason is why did they scan that license plate in the first place? Justifiable cause? If you want a registry of license plate numbers just download them from MVD. I think something else is going on.

Ah, the perils of car registration.

The Police State Noose just continues to tighten while the Public runs in circles and whines. dpb

A conspiracy theorist would have their radars up right now and either apply Biblical prophecy and the mark of the beast OR some other fishy but equally nefarious aim.

Could be. Wouldn't surprise me.

dpb wrote:

The Police State Noose just continues to tighten while the Public runs in circles and whines. dpb

We agree completely on this.

http://www.KOB.com/article/stories/S2711403.s...

Even the dreaded ACLU is on this. The rationale is that they are checking for stolen vehicles. I am sure that is the all it is and they are using it just to protect us and convict auto thieves. Parking lots? I guess the thieves went on a lunch break. The story is really a hoot.

Willothewisp wrote:

http://www.KOB.com/article/sto ries/S2711403.shtml?cat=500
Even the dreaded ACLU is on this. The rationale is that they are checking for stolen vehicles. I am sure that is the all it is and they are using it just to protect us and convict auto thieves. Parking lots? I guess the thieves went on a lunch break. The story is really a hoot.

Although it sounds hokey, ya gotta admit there are some really stupid criminals out there. What would be amusing is to see some stats on just how many have been found vs read, and the end result of those.

Wake up and smell the roses folks as this is nothing new.

Does your bank require a palm or finger to get into your safe deposit box, camera's all over every store watching your every move.

Facial recognition used also at many stores and the vehicle you drive has that sneaky little black box recording your every move, speed, stopping distance, miles driven and more just like an airline black box.

That magnetic strip on the back of your drivers license has much more information about you than they admit it has, ever been arrested for anything regardless of how small, it is there, divorced, its there too.

Don't take my word, find an honest LE friend or someone who works with LE that won't lie to you and get the truth.

ACLU is way behind the times if they are just now learning this.

What do you think happens when a cop runs your license plate if you get pulled over? yup checking to see if any warrants are on you, if your a felon, if you are behind in child support payments etc.

Wake up folks and smell the roses before a thorn sticks you in your behind !

Bluntly Spoken wrote:

Wake up and smell the roses folks as this is nothing new.
Does your bank require a palm or finger to get into your safe deposit box, camera's all over every store watching your every move.
Facial recognition used also at many stores and the vehicle you drive has that sneaky little black box recording your every move, speed, stopping distance, miles driven and more just like an airline black box.
That magnetic strip on the back of your drivers license has much more information about you than they admit it has, ever been arrested for anything regardless of how small, it is there, divorced, its there too.
Don't take my word, find an honest LE friend or someone who works with LE that won't lie to you and get the truth.
ACLU is way behind the times if they are just now learning this.
What do you think happens when a cop runs your license plate if you get pulled over? yup checking to see if any warrants are on you, if your a felon, if you are behind in child support payments etc.
Wake up folks and smell the roses before a thorn sticks you in your behind !

Geez, thanx. I didn't know this. If I had I wouldn't have commented on this topic or decided to "rail" against it. I guess I should just smell the beano and get over it. Small injustices stay that way and you can't get upset about it or try to fly under the radar like more and more are attempting to do. Just learn to live with it is my motto. It's no big deal and has been happening for years. Or, it is a big deal and has been happening for years. Or...

Oh, I think the question was not just the checking random LP's but the storage and data base issues over plates that showed up clean. And as I said...mvd has all of us in a secure state controlled data base and has ever since they could put it on a computer.

This has been done in other jurisdictions with no problem at all. It's a very cost-effective way to solve crimes. Murders have been solved as a direct result of linking parked cars to the crime.

I'd rather see these used then paying a cop to sit and run plates all day, which is what a lot of them do now.

Willothewisp wrote:

<quoted text>
Geez, thanx. I didn't know this. If I had I wouldn't have commented on this topic or decided to "rail" against it. I guess I should just smell the beano and get over it. Small injustices stay that way and you can't get upset about it or try to fly under the radar like more and more are attempting to do. Just learn to live with it is my motto. It's no big deal and has been happening for years. Or, it is a big deal and has been happening for years. Or...

In some ways it is indeed a big deal, just one less bit of freedom we have but face it, the day will come when babies get micro chipped and or a number tattooed on our arms like Hitler did.

Remember some of our great (sic) elected reps want a national ID system and that I would refuse to agree to.

walterfm wrote:

This has been done in other jurisdictions with no problem at all. It's a very cost-effective way to solve crimes. Murders have been solved as a direct result of linking parked cars to the crime.
I'd rather see these used then paying a cop to sit and run plates all day, which is what a lot of them do now.

Just get a gps jacked into everybody and then the government will know where everyone is.

You support abortion right...what is it with progressive liberals that don't seem too hot on violating perceived privacy issues with abortion but everybody elses business is fair game. Healthcare, when, where and what time you sit on the potty...

Oh and yeah...you're the one on another thread that likened common people to dirt.

Nice. I guess dirt doesn't have any privacy...it just is underfoot all the time.

Bluntly Spoken wrote:

<quoted text>
In some ways it is indeed a big deal, just one less bit of freedom we have but face it, the day will come when babies get micro chipped and or a number tattooed on our arms like Hitler did.
Remember some of our great (sic) elected reps want a national ID system and that I would refuse to agree to.

They've played around with a national ID system through health care. That would have been impossible but now we have Obamacare. They've even thought of connecting it with Facebook. The technology is there and very soon we'll be seeing a government willing to control our every move and thought. I always thought that the USSR and China were what we were fighting against. Somehow we have decided...or at least the progressive liberals and yes progressive "conservatives" have decided to with the "if you can't beat them join them" attitude.

Knightmare wrote:

<quoted text>
Just get a gps jacked into everybody and then the government will know where everyone is.
You support abortion right...what is it with progressive liberals that don't seem too hot on violating perceived privacy issues with abortion but everybody elses business is fair game. Healthcare, when, where and what time you sit on the potty...
Oh and yeah...you're the one on another thread that likened common people to dirt.
Nice. I guess dirt doesn't have any privacy...it just is underfoot all the time.

You think God knows where everyone is. With all the "natural" disasters that happen every day, you trust him more than the cops?

Willothewisp wrote:

http://www.KOB.com/article/sto ries/S2711403.shtml?cat=500
Even the dreaded ACLU is on this. The rationale is that they are checking for stolen vehicles. I am sure that is the all it is and they are using it just to protect us and convict auto thieves. Parking lots? I guess the thieves went on a lunch break. The story is really a hoot.

do you mean? They are always defending the constitution.