Police cameras busy snapping license plates

[Randall53]

So...how long until a scanning glitch ID's an innocent tag as the tag of a dangerous felon and an innocent person suffers for it or is killed? You know, like when a wrong address is stormed in the middle of the night?

 

 

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021534204_licenseplatereadersxml.html

[Garufa]

They are in use right here in Tennessee and have been for some time.

[Knox Al]

Does anyone know of a cover that works to stop the camera from picking up your plate? Have seen several that say they will reflect light and white out the number. Then another report says they don't work. Don't want to buy several and run red lights just to find out.

[RobertNashville]

Does anyone know of a cover that works to stop the camera from picking up your plate? Have seen several that say they will reflect light and white out the number. Then another report says they don't work. Don't want to buy several and run red lights just to find out.

I have seen covers advertized that are supposed to defete "red light cameras"; but I don't believe they work..

 

Here is a link to a sight I've come to trust for info: http://radartest.com/Red-Light-Camera-Countermeasures-Test.asp

 

I think this kind of "surveillance" is something we just have to live with unless enough people can get together and pass legislation that outlaw such technology. I have mixed feelings about it anyway; while I don't "like" this kind of invasion of our privacy, it IS illegal to run a red light...it's illegal to steel a car, or be a felon who has broken his parole and this kind of technology can do a lot of good to apprehend those guilty of those things. Also, we have no natural right to drive a vehicle on the public roadway.  

Edited August 5, 2013 by RobertNashville

[2.ooohhh]

The covers that reflect light generally work well for red light cameras at night as they force the flash to overexpose the plate by reflecting more light than is typical of standard plates. It's very hard to obscure a plate in daylight hours while remaining legal. On one of my cars I just used a magnetic tag holder and generally removed the tag whenever parked so the tag didn't get stolen.

[Guest nra37922]

Maybe we can get Lenny to try for us.  He's into cop baiting...

[monkeylizard]

On one of my cars I just used a magnetic tag holder and generally removed the tag whenever I was running red lights and hiding from the authorities.

 

FIFY!  :hiding:

[DaveTN]

Does anyone know of a cover that works to stop the camera from picking up your plate? Have seen several that say they will reflect light and white out the number. Then another report says they don't work. Don't want to buy several and run red lights just to find out.

Yes, but if the unit detects a plate it can’t read, it sends out a small EMP that destroys all the electronics in your vehicle.

[Luke E.]

I have seen covers advertized that are supposed to defete "red light cameras"; but I don't believe they work..

 

Here is a link to a sight I've come to trust for info: http://radartest.com/Red-Light-Camera-Countermeasures-Test.asp

 

I think this kind of "surveillance" is something we just have to live with unless enough people can get together and pass legislation that outlaw such technology. I have mixed feelings about it anyway; while I don't "like" this kind of invasion of our privacy, it IS illegal to run a red light...it's illegal to steel a car, or be a felon who has broken his parole and this kind of technology can do a lot of good to apprehend those guilty of those things. Also, we have no natural right to drive a vehicle on the public roadway.  

 

 I kind of agree Robert other than the red light cameras have been proven ineffective at changing peoples driving habits so the only purpose they serve is revenue generation and that's what taxes are for. The part that I do agree with is that they are good for catching a driver in a hit and run situation and a few other situations similar to that. Here's the "but", why use revenue generation cameras that are only taking snap shots? Why not just post a standard camera so that they can pick up any time frame they wanted? If they are honestly not just there to bring in extra revenue then I would think a round the clock video camera would be the better option.

[dunndw]

wonder if a row of high output IR led lights shining down on the plate would have any effect on the photographic quality. Seems to work on the baseball hats I've seen

[Luke E.]

wonder if a row of high output IR led lights shining down on the plate would have any effect on the photographic quality. Seems to work on the baseball hats I've seen

 

I didn't realize they would do that... Pretty cool.

[2.ooohhh]

wonder if a row of high output IR led lights shining down on the plate would have any effect on the photographic quality. Seems to work on the baseball hats I've seen

 

Most modern chip based cameras have IR filters eliminating this vulnerability, the exception being entry to mid level security cameras aimed at low light recording that typically use IR illumination to capture video in VERY low light. High end security cameras using fast lenses are pretty much immune but most companies aren't willing to drop $5k per camera and another $2k on glass for a "security" camera.

Edited August 5, 2013 by 2.ooohhh

[leroy]

RE:  The license plate scanner... Didn't i read somewhere of a court decision that says that the citizen has no expectation of a "right to privacy" in a public setting...?   The roadway is definitely a "public setting"..

 

leroy

[greenego]

:cop:   Isn't the police state wonderful? :sick:  

[Luke E.]

RE:  The license plate scanner... Didn't i read somewhere of a court decision that says that the citizen has no expectation of a "right to privacy" in a public setting...?   The roadway is definitely a "public setting"..

 

leroy

Yep and your right, the roadway is as public as it gets but I would like to think that we have the right to not be spied on by people on our payroll using equipment when payed for.. As for cameras being used for the purpose of being able to get to the bottom of issues within it's field of view, I have no issue at all.  

[Luke E.]

:cop:   Isn't the police state wonderful? :sick:

[leroy]

Yep and your right, the roadway is as public as it gets but I would like to think that we have the right to not be spied on by people on our payroll using equipment when payed for.. As for cameras being used for the purpose of being able to get to the bottom of issues within it's field of view, I have no issue at all.  

Dont get me wrong... .  I fully agree with you.  I think there is probably gonna have to be a show down over the Fourth Amendment thing myself.   I just cant figure out how it is gonna happen and where the legal eagles will draw the line.  I aint sure i know where it's drawn now.

 

leroy

[Luke E.]

Dont get me wrong... .  I fully agree with you.  I think there is probably gonna have to be a show down over the Fourth Amendment thing myself.   I just cant figure out how it is gonna happen and where the legal eagles will draw the line.  I aint sure i know where it's drawn now.

 

leroy

 I guess my thing with a traffic camera (not a red light gonna stick it to ya camera) is, they have been around for years and years at certain intersections for traffic purposes and only for that. I'm just saying that if there has to be cameras at an intersection then this should be their purpose and not for the government to be watching over particular citizens. I'm not sure where the lines is either and I think that is in part because our government does not recognize a "line" anymore and that is the part the worries me.