Big Brother Is Watching You Seattle

[knucklehead_vol]

Local News | Cameras keep track of all cars entering Medina | Seattle Times Newspaper

In Medina, a new sign bears this warning: "You Are Entering a 24 Hour Video Surveillance Area."

Cameras have recently been installed at intersections to monitor every vehicle coming into the city.

Under the "automatic license plate recognition" project, once a car enters Medina, a camera captures its license-plate number. Within seconds, the number is run through a database.

If a hit comes up for a felony — say, the vehicle was reported stolen or is being driven by a homicide suspect — the information is transmitted instantaneously to police, who can "leap into action," said Police Chief Jeffrey Chen.

[Velo Vol]

How long until that is everywhere?

[UTRavens]

Don't steal any cars or commit any homicides, then.

[Pepe_Silvia]

Originally Posted by UTRavens

Don't steal any cars or commit any homicides, then.

Sounds like a defense for the Patriot Act.

[UTRavens]

Originally Posted by Pepe_Silvia

Sounds like a defense for the Patriot Act.

There's certainly a point where obsessing over privacy becomes counterproductive.

[PKT_VOL]

I don't see the problem. They are video taping public space...

How is that an invasion of privacy?

[tvolsfan]

Originally Posted by Pepe_Silvia

Sounds like a defense for the Patriot Act.

Avoid acts of terrorism?

[MG1968]

Originally Posted by PKT_VOL

I don't see the problem. They are video taping public space...

How is that an invasion of privacy?

I've often wondered that myself

[utvolpj]

Originally Posted by UTRavens

There's certainly a point where obsessing over privacy becomes counterproductive.

that's definitely what the govt is hoping you'll say

[tim]

Lol. privacy on the interstate. Btw counties and cities in Middle Tn have been using this for well over a year. The stationary ones like in the article have been approved and I dont know what the hold up is. There are several mounted on police/sheriff cruisers. You will know one when you see it. They will have cameras mounted on all 4 corners of the car.

[hog88]

The problem I see is, what will they use it for next. Law enforcement in every case tries to expand their reach and ability to put you in jail. Not to mention LEOs are the biggest criminal organization in the country, how long until they start selling the information to divorce attorneys, insurance companies, or whoever might benefit?

[YorkVol]

Well, it depends on how long they store it and who else has access to it. Can an aggressive prosecutor use the tapes to put you at a crime scene that you weren't at. In my case, I take a different route home almost every day, what if I randomly selected to go through an area like this at the same time a heinous murder was taking place? I might stick out as a stranger passing through without any sort of business in the area. I could easily see someone trying to pin the crime on me simply because I drove through and they had it on record.

What if I borrowed a friends car without realizing he had a felony warrant out for his arrest and I get picked up in his place?

Just like the images collected by the body scanners at the airports were never supposed to be stored or shared, I would be leery about where this data might go.

[YorkVol]

Originally Posted by UTRavens

Don't steal any cars or commit any homicides, then.

Or piss off your neighbor who happens to be a local magistrate...

[MystifyingVol]

Problem, solution: Speed Camera Number Plate Covers

[tim]

Originally Posted by MystifyingVol

Problem, solution: Speed Camera Number Plate Covers

Illegal to cover a license plate. They covered that.